


The Butterfly Effect

by AlderaanianPrincess (darthnoire), darthnoire



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blushing idiots, Confession, Consenting Characters, Date 1 Romantic Italian Dinner, Date 2 Medieval Fair, Date 3 Theatre Date, Date 5 Botanic Garden, Date Number 4 Arcade, F/M, Fake Dating, Ficlet, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Heartbreak, I have no self-control, I'll add more tags as i upload the chapters, It started as a oneshot and developed into a ficlet, Kissing in the Rain, LadyNoir - Freeform, Love Bites, Love Confession, Mentions of Sex, Mentions of alcohol, Nudity, Online Dating, Partial Identity Reveal, Partial Nudity, Red Rose, Sex, Slow Burn-ish, Tension, They're over 18, adrienette - Freeform, cheek kiss, developing feelings, fake date au, hand holding, hickey, just a little bit of angst because you know me and you know i can't resist, ladrien, mildly territorial chat noir, not explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:21:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 40,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27149326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthnoire/pseuds/AlderaanianPrincess, https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthnoire/pseuds/darthnoire
Summary: Alya challenges Marinette to sign up for a dating app and go on a date with an online stranger.Marinette soon realises she can't go through with it. But how can she tell her friend she's a coward? The answer is simple. She can't.Good thing her knight in shining armour shows up to save the day - well, the night. And not just that night, but four more after that. It's fine, right? They're just friends after all. Or at least that's what they keep telling themselves, because there's absolutely no way Chat Noir and Marinette are falling for each other.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, marichat - Relationship
Comments: 104
Kudos: 290





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello frens, I am back with a 7 chapter marichat fake date au that I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments or drop me a dm on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire)
> 
> Lots of love 💕

⚬◉⚬ An Absurd Plan ⚬◉⚬ 

Marinette looked at herself in the full-length mirror of her bedroom. It had been a nightmare to move it from her parents’ house to her little apartment, but it had been worth it.

She had moved once she had started university, wanting a quaint little place for herself. She still visited her parents frequently, since she lived relatively close to them.

Even though she sometimes missed them, she couldn’t deny she enjoyed her privacy and having her own place. It had been two years since she had moved out, and she had no intentions of going back.

She paid for the apartment with her part-time job, but her parents helped with other expenses, such as the food and the bills. She was trying to save money, but it was hard when she was studying and working at the same time.

Mari readjusted her loose white shirt over her lacy black crop top. She twisted around so she could check how the jeans she had picked fitted, and what the overall effect of the outfit was from the back. Fussing over her outfit choices helped keep her mind off what was really bothering her.

Satisfied with her choice she finally moved to her feet. She opted for some bold red heels that gave some colour to her otherwise neutral choices.

She curled her hair and did her makeup with some subtle black eyeliner and red lipstick. However, as the hour approached, the more certain the young woman was that the time and the effort she had invested into getting ready might have been for nothing. She was not sure she wanted to go through with it anymore.

The bed creaked as she sat on it with her phone still clutched in her hand and her mind reeling. She stared at the screen of her phone with a dissatisfied expression. Alya’s icon kept flashing on her notifications bar as her best friend sent her message after message.

She sighed and let herself fall back on her bed. She stared at the ceiling, as if it could provide her all the answers to her dilemma. No such luck.

Marinette should’ve never accepted her best friend’s challenge.

Time passed as she laid there, debating her options. The young woman supposed she couldn’t ignore her device forever. It would just keep vibrating until she answered. Besides, she should probably tell her date she wasn’t going to make it after all.

She really wanted to get over Adrien. That had been the whole point of this whole date thing. Alya had convinced – perhaps convinced wasn’t the right word – _dared_ Marinette to sign up for a dating app and have some fun with a stranger.

Fuelled by a few too many drinks, and the temptation of a dare, Marinette found herself agreeing and pinkie promising her best friend that she would most definitely sign up for a dating app, and most importantly go on a date. Well, five dates to be more accurate. Five dates with the same guy to give her the opportunity to experience a reckless fling that could divert her mind, and heart from the blond model.

As it turned out, Marinette wouldn’t even be able to make it to date one.

She groaned into her hands before she mustered the strength to unlock her phone, ignoring Alya’s message icon and clicking on the dating app instead.

Her finger hovered over her date’s chat for a few seconds before she steeled herself and clicked on it.

_Sorry, I’m not making it tonight. I thought I could do this, but I’m just not ready._

_I hope you understand. It’s been great getting to know you._

It was straight to the point. She could only hope her date would understand. There was nothing else she could do. Better end it before it had even started.

She was a coward, she knew. She would never hear the end of it from Alya.

_No problem._

_Wish you all the best._

His short answer came only a couple of minutes later. He took it better than she expected, and she couldn’t be more relieved. The raven-haired girl let herself breathe and relax.

It was over.

Alya’s icon kept popping up as she kept bombarding Marinette with more and more messages. She just threw her phone across her bed, as far away from her as possible, determined to ignore it until the next morning.

Marinette was about to discard her date clothes for her comfy pyjamas when she heard a loud rap on her window. She smiled because there was only one person who would be knocking on her bedroom window at that time of night.

Her red heels clicked against the floorboards of the room as she made her way to the window and opened it to reveal a waving and smiling Chat Noir.

Marinette smiled back, already used to his frequent late-night visits, and looking forward to having some nice company after just having ditched her date.

They were used to spending time together. She would often be working on a design and he’d bring a book with him, so he could sit by her side reading while she stitched and sewed. Marinette considered him one of her best friends. Not that she could ever admit it to Alya, mostly because she would most likely use their friendship to get herself an interview.

His easy smile fell suddenly, being replaced by a wide-eyed shocked expression that caused Marinette’s heart to drop. Was there something wrong? Was he not happy to see her? Was he expecting someone else? He had been the one to knock on her window after all… How could he expect anyone else to answer?

“Wow, Marinette you look – ” He trailed off as he gestured at her and let his eyes travelled down her figure. She felt herself blush at his compliment. His reaction to her appearance had been the last thing she had been expecting.

“Oh, thank you, kitty.” She replied, unsure of what else to say. Unsure even if she should have thanked him in the first place, seeing as he never finished his sentence.

“Do you have plans? I can come back another time.” The leather-clad hero offered as he casually pointed with a thumb to the darkness of the night behind him.

Marinette shook her head. “Not anymore I don’t. I was about to put on my pyjamas.” She answered as she beckoned him inside with a hand. “I could actually use some company if you’re up to staying for a while.”

Chat Noir nodded and offered a toothy grin as he squeezed through the window into her bedroom. She smiled back and closed it behind her, as the hero made himself at home and settled comfortably on her chaise lounge.

His gaze followed her while she moved around her bedroom. She took of her heels and discarded them into a corner. There was no need to keep her feet in those death traps if all she was going to do was spend a relaxing night in her bedroom with one of Paris’ favourite heroes.

Chat Noir’s cat ears twitched suddenly, but he remained otherwise motionless still lying on the chaise lounge. “I think your phone is vibrating, Princess.”

She sighed as she rolled her eyes and waved her hand around dismissing the subject. “Yeah, it’s probably Alya texting to ask about how my ‘date’ is going.” She used finger quotes on the word date.

He patted the empty space of the chaise in front of him, prompting Marinette to join him. She walked over and plopped onto the furniture.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked her as he sat straighter, giving her his undivided attention.

She shrugged “There isn’t much to talk about really. Alya dared me to sign up for a dating app so I could have a fling. I signed up, like I said I would, and I was meant to go on five dates with a guy and you know… _Have sex on the last one_.” She rushed the words out and waved her hands around, slightly embarrassed by the subject. “Anyway, I met this nice enough guy and today was meant to have been our first date, but I changed my mind last minute. I realised I couldn’t do it after all.”

“Why did you agree to it in the first place?” He asked, an expression of interest in his green feline eyes. “I mean, besides the obvious reason. We all know you can’t say no to a challenge, and I guess that’s why Alya dared you in the first place.”

He chuckled and Marinette joined him, definitely seeing the truth in his statement.

They had had many Ultra Mecha Strike III tournaments because Marinette couldn’t say no to beating Chat’s ass at the game.

She looked down and played with the buttons of her shirt, unable to look him in the eyes while she confessed the real reason. “I’m trying to get over this guy and nothing has worked, so Alya thought a fling might be the answer.”

Chat nodded and hummed, understanding her predicament.

“Well, you and Luka were together for a while. You started dating on your first year of college, right?” Chat wasn’t really asking, he was just trying to make a point, so Marinette remained silent as he carried on. “So, I guess it’s normal that it’d take you a while to get over him.”

Luka was definitely not the guy she was trying to get over, but she didn’t correct Chat Noir. It made sense he would have assumed he was the one her heart couldn’t let go, but it was far from the truth. Her relationship with Luka had ultimately failed because of her lingering feelings for Adrien Agreste. But she didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole.

“I guess.” It was the only answer she provided him as she shrugged one shoulder before she carried on. “So, that leaves us where we are now. Me actively avoiding my phone and more precisely Alya. She is going to want to know details, and there aren’t any because I didn’t even go on the date and I haven’t mustered the courage to tell her.”

She released a pitiful groan as she let herself fall back dramatically, her body hanging precariously over the chaise. Her head was inches from the floor, her hair splayed around her like a halo, as she hung upside down with her hands interlaced over her stomach. He remained immobile.

“Then don’t.” Chat shrugged as if the answer was that simple and straightforward.

Marinette slightly rose herself from her awkward position to look at him. She relied on her abdominal muscles to pull it off, and if it weren’t for her physical exercise as Ladybug, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stay in that position for as long as she did.

She waited for him to further explain his reasoning. She could tell he had an idea but was refraining from voicing it.

“If you’ve got an idea, please do tell.” She disentangled her fingers so she could gesture him to spill whatever his plan was.

Tired of her position, she sat upright once more and unconsciously moved closer to him so she could look him in the eyes while they talked. But Chat looked away as he scratched the back of his neck.

It was his tell. He was nervous.

“I mean I could be your date.” The words came out as a murmur.

Marinette made a squealing sound at his suggestion, which prompted Chat Noir to turn to her suddenly, eyes wide and mouth agape. The slits of his eyes were very narrow. He waved his hands frantically between the two of them “Fake date! I meant fake date!”

A myriad of emotions coursed through her. There was relief, acceptance, and also disappointment.

She did not let herself dwell on the reason why she would feel the latter. Chat Noir and Marinette were friends. Good friends. That was it.

“We can do whatever it is you and your date had planned and then you technically don’t have to lie to Alya.” Chat finally revealed his full idea with a forced grin and a pained expression on his face, his hands and shoulders stuck in a half shrug, as if he had regretted suggesting it in the first place.

Marinette looked away as she tapped a finger to her lip. “It could work.” She couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes. It was too much. Too overwhelming. It was possibly the most ridiculous and stupid idea they had ever had and yet there they were... Considering it and even possibly agreeing to do it.

“Do you want to do it then? Go on five fake dates with me, I mean?” Chat asked, twisting his ring nervously, pointedly avoiding looking her gaze.

She forced herself to look at him and smile, in an attempt to keep her nervousness at bay. “Yes,” She nodded. “Let’s do this. It could definitely help me keep Alya off my back. We’re friends after all, so it won’t be any different from hanging out together, I guess.”

His eyes shot up to hers and he extended her his gloved hand and she took it in hers. “It’s a deal then.” They both said as they shook hands.

Chat got up from the chaise suddenly and faced her with an extended hand. “So, what was it that you had planned for tonight?”

Marinette put her palm in his for the second time that night and let him pull her up. “We were going for dinner.”

He released her when she was on her feet and started pacing the room, stroking his chin with two clawed fingers while deep in thought. “We can work with that. Do you have the ingredients to make a pasta dish?” He paused his walking. “I mean I’m assuming you were going for Italian, but maybe you were getting something else. We can definitely cook something else; I’ll go out and get the ingredients quickl–”

“I never actually told Alya what restaurant we were going to, so Italian is fine and it’s actually quite easy to make at home.” Marinette reassured him with a bright smile, when she noticed he was slightly freaking out. “Besides, now that you’ve mentioned pasta, I’m definitely in the mood for it.”

She grabbed him by the shoulders and started pushing him to the kitchen. “C’mon then, kitty-cat, let’s make some pasta.”

He laughed with her, surely as happy as her by having put any awkwardness behind them and being back to their usual easy friendship.

Little did they know that one little event would forever change their lives. Because what would have happened if Alya hadn’t prompted Marinette to go on a date with an online stranger? What would have happened if Marinette hadn’t cancelled last minute? What would have happened if Chat Noir hadn’t appeared when he did, and suggested that completely and absolutely absurd and perfect plan?

No one will never know, because this chain of small events would have consequences. Considerable consequences. Like the butterfly effect.


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It seems I took your breath away.” The leather-cladded hero stated with a wiggle of his eyebrows while he stared at her._
> 
> _She snickered once again as she pushed him away._
> 
> _“Ah you laughed at my pun!”_
> 
> _“I did no such a thing. I was still laughing at your ridiculous face.” She pointed an accusatory finger at him. ___
> 
> Marinette and Chat Noir go in their first fake date, only for her to realise that perhaps things won't go as smoothly as she hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, because I'm really excited about this fic and I want to share it with you, I bring you chapter II not even three days after I posted the first one.  
> My intention is still to update this fic weekly, so enjoy this little treat I guess.
> 
> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment. You know the drill. 
> 
> Also, here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire) if you want to have a chat or something.
> 
> Until next time 🤍

⚬◉⚬ Fake Date Number 1 ⚬◉⚬

Marinette and Chat Noir moved around the kitchen with suspiciously accurate synchronisation. It was if they had done that dance a million times before. Marinette of course knew they had. Ladybug and Chat Noir were the perfect team after all. Chat, however, was completely oblivious to that fact, but if he ever thought Marinette and Chat’s harmony came too naturally or felt too familiar, he never mentioned it.

They had music playing as they chopped vegetables and got the ingredients ready for their meal.

Chat insisted on supervising the boiling pasta, reminding Marinette that she could pose a hazard to herself on occasion. She rebuked his comments by pointing at herself cutting vegetables with a huge knife, a task he had gladly let her take over.

“Point taken.” He replied with a chuckle, although he still allocated himself the task of watching over the pasta.

“Well, as the saying goes, a watched pot never boils, Chat, which makes your task kind of obsolete.” Marinette teased.

“You’re taking the saying too literally, Purr-incess. Besides it’s impossible not to get hot when you’re standing next to the amazing Chat Noir.” He said as he kissed his biceps. “Not even the water can resist me.”

Marinette rolled her eyes at him. “Careful so you don’t burn yourself, then.”

“It’s not a pun, but I’ll take it. I’m slowly converting you.”

Marinette shook her head in denial as she sliced the carrots. “I’m spending way too much time with you. You’re a bad influence.”

Chat Noir gasped as he placed a hand over his heart dramatically, “Me? A bad influence?”

“Chat the water is overflowing!” Marinette screamed as she saw the bubbling water spilling over the cooker.

Chat screeched and started fumbling with the knobs on the cooker so he could turn it down. He then cleaned the cooker carefully with a piece of cloth, mindful of the heat.

In the meantime, the young woman shook her head in disapproval with a smile playing on her lips, as she finished chopping all the vegetables and added them to the pot so she could start the Bolognese sauce while the spaghetti cooked.

They stirred the pots and kept an eye on them, while allowing themselves to have some fun.

Marinette started dancing barefoot across the floor as her favourite song came on, and Chat, because he knew she liked it so much, decided to put on a show and started singing with too much passion into a wooden spoon.

The room spun around her, and as she finished her twirl and faced him once again, she noticed his ridiculous face as he screamed into his fake microphone. She lost it. She doubled over on her stomach as tears pricked her eyes. She couldn’t stop laughing. Chat beamed as a sense of pride washed over him at eliciting such a reaction from her.

Her fit of giggles eventually subsided. She leaned on the counter, with one of her hands trying to calm herself and draw deep breaths.

“It seems I took your breath away.” The leather-cladded hero stated with a wiggle of his eyebrows while he stared at her.

She snickered once again as she pushed him away.

“Ah you laughed at my pun!”

“I did no such a thing. I was still laughing at your ridiculous face.” She pointed an accusatory finger at him.

“Meowch.” Chat yowled as his tail waved behind him.

“You’ll get over it.” She teased him with a smile that fell and was replaced by an outraged gasp once she realised the song had come to an end. “You’ve made me miss my favourite song!”

Chat smirked as he reached for her phone and pressed the rewind button. Her song came up again and she beamed and giggled in excitement.

She started dancing again and noticed him join her. They waltzed around the kitchen and each other in tandem as they set the table and stirred the pots cooking over the hob.

“Do you have candles?” Chat asked a while later, as he put down one of the glasses.

Marinette turned to him with a raised eyebrow, the question clear in her face.

“I just thought it’d be a good idea to take a picture of the table all set and send it to Alya. We could make it look like a restaurant.

“That’s a brilliant idea! Kitty, you’re amazing!” The young woman was already rummaging the cabinets and drawers in her kitchen in search for candles, missing the way a fierce blush crept up the hero’s neck and cheeks.

She was eventually successful in her search, showing her prized possessions to Chat with victorious shout. Chat laughed at her reaction, while he took the candles from her hand and started setting them up on the table.

Once the food was cooked, Marinette got the plates out so she could start serving the pasta. She could hear the rasping of the match against the book as Chat lit up the candles in the living room.

The plates were ready before Chat was finished with his task, since he was being very meticulous and careful with the setting of the table. Marinette took the opportunity to look at Chat as he focused on his task. She leaned against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest.

The young woman could see him squinting his green feline eyes, as he tried to relight a candle that had blown out as he set the napkins down. He had his hand in a little conch, as if he was trying to protect the little flame from the world. It was endearing to watch him being so careful, and so dedicated to something. She found herself wondering if he was like that in all aspects of his life.

Marinette cut that train of thought before it went too far.

She retrieved the plates from the kitchen counter and made her way to the table. The table seemed to finally meet the hero’s standards, judging from the triumphant smile on his face.

As she set the plates down on the table, she finally realised how real the whole situation was. That thought caused her hands to shake slightly. It didn’t really matter if they were calling their date ‘fake’, because for all intents and purposes they were going on a _date_. Marinette couldn’t help the feeling of nervousness that spread through her.

She looked at Chat across the room as he returned from the kitchen after having disposed of the matches, and she wondered if he felt or was thinking about the same as her. She deviated her eyes before they could find his green ones and cleared her throat in an attempt to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. Marinette touched the napkin absently to appear busy.

_This is most definitely a fake date. Chat and I are friends._

_He’s doing me a favour. There shouldn’t be any awkwardness between us because we’re just friends. I don’t need to make this awkward._

She let those words ring in a loop through her mind until they became a mantra. If she repeated them enough times, they would surely become true. Or so she told herself.

Chat was smiling at her, plainly oblivious to her inner torment. He moved towards her and suddenly Marinette was deeply aware of his presence.

She wondered what he was doing until she noticed he had pulled the chair back and was pointing at it, asking her to sit. The young woman released the breath she had been holding. He was just trying to be nice, be and gentleman, and do her a favour, and there she was making things unnecessarily awkward by reading too much into it.

Marinette did as he asked and sat on the chair which he then carefully pushed towards the table. After she was settled, he took his place, opposite to hers, with a wide grin on his face.

“The food smells so nice! You’re such a good cook, Marinette.”

“You helped, kitty.” She replied pointedly avoiding his face, focusing on the plate and the cutlery in front of her. She reached for the fork first and the knife.

“Please, you were the one who seasoned it and kept a better eye on it than I ever could.” Chat countered with a chuckle as he reached for his own cutlery. “My job was to make sure the water didn’t overflow, and I failed. I’m a disaster in the kitchen.”

“Don’t say that. You can learn.” Marinette encouraged him as she took the fork to her mouth.

“Only if I had a good teacher who could motivate me.” 

Marinette looked up at him expecting him to be staring at her with an expression full of hope and amusement, but instead he was furiously studying the plate in front of him, scooping up the spaghetti with his fork. 

She frowned at that. Knowing him, she could have sworn he had been asking her to teach him, but if his words had said one thing, his body language said the opposite. She could feel disappointment seep at her bones but ignored the feeling and decided to change the subject.

“So, why did you drop by today?” Marinette asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to see if you were up for a match of Mecha Strike.” He shrugged. “But this is fun too. Perhaps even more so, since Alya is involved. I can’t wait to see her face if she ever finds out.”

Chat had said it casually, as if the whole situation wasn’t out of the ordinary and they weren’t both incredibly foolish for going through with it.

“Well the whole purpose of doing this is so she doesn’t find out.” Marinette pointed out with a snicker and a wave of her hand.

“Well, maybe in many years’ time.” Chat suggested with a raised eyebrow and a side smile. “Imagine her reaction!”

Marinette made sure to stare at him with a pointed look, that could be read as a displeased expression, but deep down she found his excitement over something that trivial slightly amusing. However, if it depended on her Alya would never find out about this.

Her bailing on her date was proof she was still too attached to her feelings for Adrien. They had obviously evolved over the years, and she liked to believe she was no longer obsessed with him like when she had been a teenager, but the truth was that she had never gotten over her first love and perhaps she never would. However, she would be lying if she said he was the only one who had had a place in her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that she had loved Luka deeply. She had been in love with him, she was certain, but her heart had never just belonged to him, and that made her feel guilt and why she had asked for them to break up. But it seemed the universe had other plans for her. As if caring about two people at the same wasn’t enough, she sometimes found herself longing for her superhero partner as well.

As she got older and her relationship with Chat also evolved, she would on occasion find her heart yearning for him like a physical pain. Her mind would drift to him automatically, and she would find herself craving to be nearer him whenever they spent time together.

Tikki had once said the miraculous of the ladybug and the black cat were connected. She supposed those emotions she had experienced could easily be explained by that magic that had woven their destinies together. However, they certainly did not explain the way her heart was beating erratically as she had dinner with him that night. She was trying to blame it on the whole situation and the position they put themselves in, but even she knew she was just fooling herself.

“You’re very quiet.” Chat Noir commented through a mouthful of pasta and a hand covering his mouth. He swallowed it before he continued. “If you’re quiet it means you’re thinking. Do you regret doing this? Do you regret cancelling on your date?”

Marinette shook her head vehemently. “No. I really don’t regret it. I know I wouldn’t have been good company. Besides he would have never really stood a chance. It’d be unfair on him if I kept leading him on.”

Chat Noir hummed in agreement. “No one can blame you for putting yourself out there and for trying, though. You thought you were ready, and then you realised you weren’t, so you changed your mind on the whole thing and that’s absolutely normal. No one will fault you for that. Not even Alya, I’m sure. If she’s really your best friend, she would understand.”

She released a dry chuckle. “Sometimes it’s as if you don’t know Alya at all. You’ve seen how stubborn she is when she wants an interview with you or Ladybug. I know she wants what’s best for me, and what is best for me is moving on, but I guess online dating was just the wrong way to go about it.”

“And that’s okay, Mari. I hope at some point you can confess to Alya this whole thing, but in the meantime I’m here to be your fake date/knight in shiny armour.” Chat promised with a gallant expression that caused Marinette to snicker into her hand.

It was halfway through her meal that Marinette realised she hadn’t taken a picture of the table. That had been the reason for having arranged the candles in the first place.

“Chat! We didn’t take a picture!”

His eyes widened at the realisation, but Marinette could tell as soon as he had an idea to fix, because he smiled proudly at her.

“Do you have ice cream?” He asked and she realised his idea.

“I believe so.” Marinette got up from the table to check her freezer in a rush. She only hoped she still had a leftover tub at the back. She eventually found it hidden between a bag of frozen peas and shrimp. “Yes!” She’d screamed from the kitchen, hoping Chat had heard it in the living room.

She took the ice cream out and placed it on the counter, so it would soften up before she served it.

Mari returned to the table and joined Chat once again. He had paused his eating while she had been absent and for some reason that small gesture meant a lot to her.

They finished the remainder of the Bolognese over some light-hearted conversation that came naturally after so many years of friendship. Marinette was glad her feelings of awkwardness from before had dissipated.

The bottle of wine they had shared had also probably helped with that. That reminded her she still had some wine left. She grabbed her glass and swirled the remaining liquid as she listened to Chat talking about another prank Plagg had played on him.

Her laugh reverberated through the flat as the hero finished the story. Mari missed the little god of destruction. She wished he could see him more often. She knew Plagg liked her too, even though he had never admitted it. He probably never would either, but that didn’t bother her in the slightest. Plagg had a very peculiar personality. He hid under a mask of iron, but she knew that under that tough front there was a heart as soft as the inside of a camembert.

Both her and Chat took a gulp of the wine once he finished the story and they had stopped laughing. She licked her lips as she set the glass down.

Marinette looked up at him with a smile, noticing the way Chat followed the movement of her mouth with his feline green eyes. She could feel heat spreading through her body as his gaze settled on her. She could feel herself getting pulled to him, pulled into his eyes, into the warmth and safety he could provide. She could not and should not feel that way.

Afraid of whatever feeling he was igniting inside of her, Marinette rose from her chair hastily and grabbed her plate to take it to the kitchen. The young woman reached for his too, and as she leaned forward, the cutlery slid across the one she was already holding. She quickly countered the weight but misjudged her strength and ended up tipping the fork and knife towards her.

Chat Noir got up, but he was too late. The cutlery bounced off the plate and landed on her white shirt, smearing it with tomato sauce.

Chat took the plates from her and placed them on the table. He turned her to him so he could assess the damage to the shirt.

“Come with me quickly.” His voice was urgent as he pulled her along to the kitchen. She let herself get dragged by him. “We need to get it off before it dries. Tomato stains are a nightmare. Especially in white clothes. I should know.”

Marinette was not sure what he meant with those last words, but she didn’t want to dwell on it either. She didn’t want to know more personal details about his civilian self. Better yet, she couldn’t let herself succumb to her burning and secret desire to know. The image of Chat Blanc and the destruction of the world came to mind whenever she thought about revealing their identities.

Lost in thought, she barely even realised they had made it to the kitchen and were in front of the sink.

He turned on the faucet of cold water and grabbed a tea towel from one of her drawers. He placed the cloth under the torrent of water and let it soak, squeezing it afterwards to remove the excess water. He finally turned off the tap.

The hero faced her once again and started dabbing the wet cloth against her shirt carefully, trying to get the majority of the tomato sauce off.

Chat Noir and his presence invaded her personal space thoroughly. All of her senses were assaulted by him. All of him.

Firstly, there was his perfume, which was as intoxicating as she remembered, and it carried so many memories. Memories of them fighting akumas together, memories of them patrolling the city, and memories of him turning up on her parents’ balcony at the dead of night for late night conversations. It was also strangely familiar, as if she had smelled that same scent on someone else, but her brain refused to make the connection.

Then, there was his voice. He kept talking but she had stopped listening to the words. Her brain focused instead on the timbre of his voice. It was soothing, and warm, and she remembered all the times she had fallen asleep to him reading poems or short stories he had found and had reminded him of her.

Lastly, there was his touch. One of his clawed hands clutched around her shirt, too close to her skin and her cleavage. It radiated heat against her body. Her breath hitched at their proximity. Her eyes traced the contours of his body, as he crouched in front of her.

He must have asked her a question, because suddenly, she was staring right back at his inquisitive green eyes, instead of the top of his head and his black ears.

She felt her face reddened and so she turned it away in shyness and embarrassment. That gesture must have made him finally realise the position they were in. How close he was to her, and how his eyes were levelled with her lace-covered chest.

His mouth opened and closed in shock, and he released her as if she was burning.

The distance allowed Marinette to breath and think.

“It’d be easier if I took my shirt off.” She said in a breathless voice.

“Ye-Yeah, definitely.” He stuttered equally out of breath, and unable to look her in the eyes.

Marinette set to work. She removed the white shirt carefully, leaving her just in her lacy crop top. She could tell Chat was pointedly avoiding looking at her.

She cleared her throat when she was done. It had the desired effect, because he snapped out of his trance and he handed her the towel. Their hands brushed and it sent an electric current through her.

The young woman set the towel down on the counter and turned on the faucet, placing the shirt right under the stream of water.

“Can you grab me the laundry liquid, please. It’s in the machine room.”

Chat hummed behind her and she could hear him walk through her kitchen to grab said item from the little room. He returned a couple of seconds later with the container in hand.

She poured some over the stain and started scrubbing. She knew a tomato stain could never be left to dry or she would never get rid of it. It was very likely that her white shirt would probably never be perfectly and pristinely white ever again.

The leather-clad hero remained behind her. It did nothing to placate her frenzied heart.

“The ice cream must be ready for serving, if you don’t mind doing that.” She said in a small voice. She heard the way it shook, and she hated it.

“Sure.” He replied chirpily.

He disappeared for a few minutes into the living room and returned with the used plates on his hands. He set them next to the sink and then he grabbed some bowls from the top cabinet and started serving the dessert.

She noticed Chat already knew where all of her utensils were, probably because he spent so much time at her place. It didn’t bother her. It filled her with a sense of comfort and hominess.

Marinette wrung the shirt in her hands and then shook it. She left the kitchen, passing the living room so she could hand her shirt to dry on the balcony. When she returned, Chat was already at the table.

He was taking pictures of the set table and the ice cream with his baton. He had also turned off some of the lights so make the atmosphere more romantic and make it seem more like a restaurant. He had really thought of everything.

His tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he snapped the last photo.

“I think I’ve got some good ones.” He said. “But maybe you should sit, so Alya can see you in the background.”

That made her momentarily forget the awkwardness that had hung heavily over them. She walked over and sat down carefully.

Chat carried on, taking pictures of the candles, the ice cream and her. She noticed he was being careful to avoid too much of the background, since it would break the illusion, and reveal the date for what it was – a fake one.

Marinette smiled shyly in some of pictures, but they eventually got carried away. They started pretending they were in a photoshoot. She struck pose after pose at his encouragement. Telling her how the light was perfect from that angle, or asked her to look more at the camara, or smile with her eyes.

Eventually, he started pulling faces, making her laugh, and snort. He didn’t stop taking photos. He joined her then, posing by her side. Marinette took the baton from his hands.

They took silly selfies together. They made each other laugh, Chat by throwing pun after pun and Marinette by telling him cat inspired jokes. She touched his ears and he squished her cheeks. They stuck their tongues out and made peace signs and finger guns.

“I’m sending you all of these now.”

They had shared numbers as Marinette and Chat Noir a couple of years back when they had started meeting up for their game nights. It made it easier of decide who was bringing out food and game-wise. As their friendship grew, they started texting more often, and sharing memes. She loved it.

Marinette sat back down and was surprised to find the ice cream hadn’t melted all the way yet. Chat smiled when he realised the same.

Ever since she had known him, she had noticed he had a huge sweet tooth and her parents had always been happy to indulge and to provide him with as many pastries as they possibly could. At one point she thought he would surely get cavities from all the sugar he was ingesting. It was only when she moved out of her parent’s house that his supply of pastries dwindled. Much to his dismay. At least she didn’t have to worry about his oral health anymore.

They finished the ice cream and then cleared the table and did the dishes with more music and more amateur singing performances. Marinette loved their friendship because of their ability to always fun together.

The two of them eventually returned to her bedroom, their fake date coming to an end.

“Well, this was fun.” He said with a wide grin. “Let me know when you want to go on the second one.”

“Yes, definitely and I will.” Marinette replied to both of his statements. “Thank you once again for doing this for me.”

“It was my pleasure.” He bent at the waist and grabbed her hand, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. “With that, I bid you goodnight, Princess.”

His lips left an imprint and a lingering feeling on her hand that she tried very hard to ignore without success. 

“Good night, kitty. I’ll text you.”

He nodded with a smile. The young woman smiled back as she opened the window and he squeezed through, leaving her with one last salute before he jumped into the darkness of the night.  
  



	3. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Here, I got this for you. I thought it’d be a nice touch, since you can show it to Alya. To make the date more believable, you know.” He extended the rose to her with a shaking hand._
> 
> _Her fingers brushed his as she took the rose from him. His heart skipped a beat. He could feel her warmth even through his leather suit._
> 
> _“Thank you, it’s so pretty.” She smelled the rose and then smiled up at him._
> 
> _Like you. He thought. But he couldn’t say it again without making it weird between them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you're all doing well. Today I bring you chapter 3 and I really hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire) and [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/alderaanian_p)
> 
> Until next time 🤍💕

⚬◉⚬ Fake Date Number 2 ⚬◉⚬

To say Chat Noir was nervous was an understatement. He had spent the afternoon pacing his bedroom back and forth hours before their date.

It was silly, really. They were just friends and he had been the one to suggest the whole thing to help Marinette out. He would do anything to make her feel better, which apparently included lying and pretending to date her.

Feeling too antsy to stay at home, he had decided to transform anyway and go for a run over the rooftops to kill time, much to Plagg’s dismay.

But even that idea was short-lived, because he quickly realised his mind was miles away and he kept missing targets and landings, both with his feet and with his baton. There had been too many close calls, with his nose or face being too often mere inches from the ground.

Chat had decided to stop and rest, since running was actually doing nothing for his nerves, and he might even eventually pay the price with a nasty bruise that would certainly displease his father, that would not only be too hard to explain but it would also be a pain to cover for the photoshoots.

Despite being an adult, Adrien was still working for his father. It was part of a contract he had signed with him. Until Adrien could provide for himself, he had to continue his model work for Gabriel’s brand.

It had been another one of Gabriel’s moves to ensure his son’s obedience. Adrien would not be able to be financially independent while he was a university student. Gabriel of course was aware of this and Adrien already knew his father would swamp him with more photoshoots and trips as soon as he was done with his degree, to make it almost impossible for him to apply for jobs. But that didn’t matter because Adrien had a plan. He was already looking for a part-time job for the summer. He would work as many hours as possible. He would also apply for an MA and look for a house to share with a roommate. He wanted to escape his father’s clutches and he was going to succeed.

Thinking of his civilian life and the problems with his father made him momentarily forget his nervousness regarding Marinette and their second fake date. But now his mind was focusing once again on the subject.

Chat Noir paced around on a rooftop.

He worked the stem of the rose he got for Marinette between his fingers. He had wondered if perhaps the red rose was too much. It would certainly keep the appearances. Marinette could take a picture of it and show it to Alya. People bought their dates roses all the time. It meant nothing. Right?

So why was he overthinking this? Was it because so many years ago he had given her a pink rose that symbolised friendship, and he was now giving her a red one instead that represented romantic love?

Chat looked up at the moon. It was bright and full. Like it had been all those years ago when they had shared the pain of a broken heart. It seemed lately everything reminded him of Marinette and the moments they had shared together.

He breathed in the night air. It helped calm him down. Slightly. His mind kept running wildly. Overthinking every little detail.

His thoughts drifted to their last date. _Fake date._ _It was a fake date. He couldn’t forget that tiny but very important detail._

Whenever he thought of it, he could feel a blush spread through his neck and cheeks. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way because Marinette didn’t like him, and they were good friends. But it seemed that since they had agreed to do these fake dates, something had changed between them.

Chat remembered how the air had crackled with electricity when she had stained her white shirt and he had tried to clean it. The way they had stood so close together had ignited something between them and inside of him. He had inhaled her sweet perfume and it had completely robbed him of his ability to think. That had never happened before between the two of them.

He had quickly realised how awkward their position had been and how close he had been to her chest.

The hero had blushed fiercely and ruined everything. He had made her uncomfortable, and that was the last thing he had intended to do. Thankfully they had managed to return to their usual selves, to their usual banter. He was glad he had managed to avoid ruining everything, especially their friendship. He didn’t want to wreck that. It was too important to him.

They had been together once after that to arrange the details for their second _fake_ date, but it had been a short visit interrupted by an akuma.

He hadn’t been able to return after, since Plagg had been exhausted. Instead, he had texted her later that same night. They had stayed up late texting back and forth, sharing cat memes and gifs. But most importantly he made sure they had all the details of the date and outfits decided. That was the main reason he had texted her in the first place. Or so he told himself.

Chat Noir had found an ad for a medieval fair that was happening in Paris, and it immediately made him think of Marinette. She was his princess after all. It was the perfect idea for their second date.

He had gotten a knight costume that came with a helmet. It meant he could de-transform and be out of the suit for the night.

Marinette had hinted that she would be in fact dressing up as a princess, but he had no idea what her costume would actually look like.

The hero did another lap around the roof and looked down at the Pont Alexandre III. The Seine reflected the moonlight and made the golden statues glow beautifully. His eyes moved away from the scenic landscape, to land on Marinette’s little flat. It was still slightly earlier than the agreed hour, but he was sure she wouldn’t mind much if he arrived early.

Chat took a deep breath and started his way towards her. As he approached her window he knocked. It only took couple of minutes for her to open it.

“Hi, kitty.” Her voice was soft and welcoming, but he barely even had time to process it because she was standing right in front of him, dressed up in a soft pastel underskirt with long and wide sleeves that made her look regal, and a burgundy corset that accentuated her figure. Her dark hair was loose except for two small braids at that top that circled her hair and on which her small crown rested. She looked like royalty. Like a true princess. He was hypnotised.

“Do you like it? I sewed it myself!” She twirled around with a smile.

Chat Noir was for the second time unable to speak in front of her. She looked gorgeous. She looked divine.

She was looking expectantly at him and he realised he should really say something.

“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” He gulped.

Her eyes widened and her mouth parted in shock, which caused his gaze to drift to her lips. They were pink, shiny and they looked so soft. So so soft.

Chat had to stop that train of thought.

“Here, I got this for you. I thought it’d be a nice touch, since you can show it to Alya. To make the date more believable, you know.” He extended the rose to her with a shaking hand.

Her fingers brushed his as he took the rose from him. His heart skipped a beat. He could feel her warmth even through his leather suit.

“Thank you, it’s so pretty.” She smelled the rose and then smiled up at him.

 _Like you._ He thought. But he couldn’t say it again without making it weird between them.

Her blue eyes met his green ones and he lost his ability to breathe. Why was she having this effect on him? He was helpless. Utterly helpless.

“Give me a second, I’ll put it in a vase.”

He managed to breathe properly again once her eyes left his.

Marinette retrieved a vase from one of her shelves and then went to the bathroom to fill it with water. She returned a couple of minutes later. She placed the rose in the vase and then set it by her window. She caressed the petals carefully with the back of her finger.

“I love flowers.” She said as she turned back to him with a kind smile. “I really like it, kitty.”

Chat blushed. “Are you sending a picture to Alya?” He pointed casually to the rose.

The young woman nodded excitedly and fetched her phone from her desk. She snapped a few pictures of the red rose from different angles and then set her phone down.

Chat’s heart beat wildly in his chest. Once they left the sanctuary of her bedroom, the date would officially start.

“Ready to go?” He asked with apprehension.

“Yes. I love fairs! I want to see all the different costumes and food and clothes stands.” She bounced a little as she gestured around with her hands and arms.

Chat chuckled at her reaction.

“I was dying to go with someone, but Alya and Nino were busy I’m so glad you asked me. This was the perfect idea for our second date.”

Her eyes widened at she realised what she said. There was also a slight blush on her freckled cheeks.

“I meant to say fake date. We’re obviously going as friends.” She added hastily with a chuckle.

Those words pierced right through the hero’s heart.

“I know what you meant, don’t worry.” Chat reassured her, even though it felt as if his heart was breaking in his chest. “Shall we then?” He asked as he extended her his hand.

She wrapped her arms around his neck securely and he offered her a weak smile that he hoped would hide how nervous he was and how affected he felt by her proximity. He embraced her tightly against him, to ensure she wouldn’t fall off once he took off.

“Ready?” She nodded in response and he jumped into the night with the young woman in his arms.

Soaring through the air with a woman in a dress was more difficult that it looked. But they had both made it safe and sound. Next time he knew not to tempt fate. He was the embodiment of bad luck after all.

He avoided busy roads so as to escape prying eyes as they made their way to the fair.

They could hear the music and the sound of festivity coming from the fair as they made their way to the Jardin des Tuileries, where it was taking place.

Chat landed them in a hidden alley.

His tail slashed behind him as his nervousness spiked. The only person he had ever de-transformed in front of was Ladybug, and she was his partner. Besides, even then they had never seen each other. Either their eyes had been closed, or they had been separated by a wall. This was different. He would be staring right into someone’s eyes.

“Hey, Chat” Marinette said softly as she stared up at him, “We don’t have to do this, if you don’t want to. I can tell you’re uncomfortable and-”

“No, no. It’s not that. Believe me.” Chat placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her as he paused. “I guess it’s just the first time I’m de-transforming in front of someone other than Ladybug, and I’m just a bit nervous. Even though you won’t be able to see my identity.”

He released his hold on her and, looking down at his shuffling feet.

Suddenly he felt her soft hand on his cheek. He looked up at her eyes. The darkness didn’t let him see their real shade, but he knew they were as blue as the ocean.

She moved her hand to ruffle his hair like she often did when he was feeling down and wanted some scratches. He would always purr under her touch, even when he tried so hard to control the impulse. It was involuntary and it seemed the young woman knew about all his soft spots. He was fighting a losing battle.

Marinette’s hand traced the shape of one of his cat ears and caressed it softly.

“Your ears are down. I don’t like it when you’re sad, kitty. You don’t have to do any of this for me. You’re one of my best friends and nothing will change that.”

He took her hand in both of his.

“I trust you.” He took a deep breath and then uttered the words he never thought he would in front of a civilian. “Plagg, claws in.”

He knew the helmet would cover his whole face, leaving only his eyes in view, and yet his heart wouldn’t stop beating frantically in his chest.

He felt the suit dematerialise around him as the magic of the miraculous retreated back into the ring.

Her blue eyes traced his figure.

As the energy swirled, and his suit disappeared so did the only barrier between his and Marinette’s hands. He could feel the warmth and delicateness of her skin.

It was both exhilarating and frightening.

Their gaze met and a matching blush set on their cheeks. Adrien was thankful for small mercies because his costume actually hid the redness of his cheeks.

As soon as they realised that they were stepping into uncharted territory they recoiled their hands simultaneously.

Even if her hand was no longer in his, the feeling of her warmth lingered against his skin. He clenched his hand in an attempt to chase away the absence he felt.

His attention was pulled away from Marinette to Plagg, who landed on his shoulder with a grunt.

It was the perfect distraction. He could introduce the two of them.

The young woman stared at the little black god.

Adrien retrieved some cheese from a hidden pocket in his red cloak and gave it to Plagg who took it greedily and immediately started munching on it.

“This glutton is Plagg, by the way.” He said as he pointed at his kwami. “Plagg, this is Marinette.”

“Yeah I know.” The little god of destruction replied with a smirk and a glint in his cat-like eyes.

Marinette squinted her eyes at the cat-like creature. Adrien was not sure what that expression meant. It was as if Marinette was warning the kwami.

Plagg coughed a little when he noticed Adrien was looking at him quizzically.

“Because the boy won’t stop talking about you for a minute. I feel like I already knew you before I even met you.” Plagg admitted, which caused the young man to gap in shock at him.

“Plagg! I do not!”

Marinette brought a hand to her lips and chuckled.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Plagg.” Marinette said as he extended him a finger.

The action definitely deviated the attention from him, and he couldn’t be more grateful, because he knew for a fact that he had actually been talking a lot about Marinette lately. However, he had a very good excuse for it. It wasn’t like he had a crush on her or anything. He had been asking Plagg’s opinion on different dates and what they should do.

Plagg had teased him endlessly and had stated several times it didn’t actually matter in the end because it was a fake date anyway, to which Adrien had promptly argued against. The dates had to be believable and they should put some effort into it, otherwise the whole charade would come crumbling down on them.

Plagg took Marinette’s finger in one of his tiny paws.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Multimouse.”

Many years ago, Marinette had been given the mouse miraculous by Ladybug and she had managed to defeat Kwamibuster all by herself.

Adrien certainly remembered mentioning to Plagg how impressive it had been that she had managed to defeat such a powerful akuma all by herself.

After Marinette and Plagg “shook hands” his kwami disappeared into his cloak.

Adrien smiled at Marinette, until he realised that she couldn’t see it because of his helmet. But when she smiled back just as brightly, and the rest didn’t matter anymore.

That moment had been almost like a silent conversation between the two of them, because they started walking at the same time, making their way towards the fair.

Even though they were walking side by side, they weren’t touching, which was unusual for the both of them. Their friendship generally involved a lot of affection and sharing each other’s personal space.

Perhaps being out of his suit had more significance than he anticipated. The knowledge that he was his civilian self under his medieval costume hovered over them like a charged cloud.

The blond man found himself wondering if the fake dating had been a bad idea after all. He wanted to believe it wasn’t, and that nothing would change between them, but he was quite possibly wrong.

His costume was also heavier than expected even though it was not actually metal. It made his pace slower, and Marinette had to slow hers to match his. For any outsiders it would look like the two of them were on a romantic night stroll. He supposed that for all intentions and purposes that was what the two of them were doing.

He tried to reign the several emotions coursing through his body. Especially the nervousness. What was wrong with him?

Marinette bouncing beside him with excitement brought him a sense of normalcy. She was being her usual bubbly and excited self, so he would be his usual flirtatious and confident self.

“Do you like crepes?” She asked, trying to make conversation, which he noticed washer way of putting him at ease. She really was an angel, “They always have those at these fairs and they’re full of chocolate and they’re so nice.”

“I-I don’t think I’ve ever tried them.”

She gasped.

“That’s it! You’re trying one today. Maybe we could share one because they’re so big.” Her eyes darted to him, “I mean if you want to of course, we don’t have to. Alya, Nino, Adrien and I always share food when we go out as friends, but we don’t have to.”

“No, I’d like to. It sounds nice.” He smiled at her, even though she couldn’t see his lips. He hoped she could see the crinkles around his eyes. He knew she could when she smiled back.

They eventually reached the fair, which was buzzing with life. They joined the masses and made their way through the different selling stands of beautiful gowns, crowns, and accessories.

Marinette would often touch a specific gown she had liked and talked about the fabric and the stitching excitedly.

As she talked with passion her eyes shone brighter than the crown on her head. Even the little kids would stop to stare at her in awe, pointing at her dress and crown. She looked like a real princess and she was with him. He was the luckiest man alive.

Except, they weren’t really together.

His heart fell at that.

The two eventually reached a food stand. Marinette was about to pay for the crepe when Adrien stepped in.

No way she was paying for the crepe herself. His father had taught him better than that. Adrien had been the one to invite her on the date, he should be the one to pay.

He handed the vendor the cash with no hesitation and grabbed the crepe from him. Marinette stared him down, but without success. This was not a battle she was going to win.

Together, their made their way to a wooden table and sat side by side.

He set the plate down on the table between the two of them and then realised he wouldn’t be able to eat with the knight helmet on.

Marinette set the cutlery and the napkins in front of them, and then looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to take the first bite, not having yet understood the predicament he was in.

“Uh, I can’t actually eat with the helmet on.”

She visibly deflated next to him, disappointment marring her features. His heart sunk even further since not even Marinette, the most resourceful person he knew, had a solution to his problem.

Suddenly her eyes widened in excitement and he felt hope grow inside of him.

“I actually meant to give you this earlier, but I forgot. Good thing I left it in the pocket of my dress I guess.”

She fetched something in the pockets of her skirt and then handed it to him. Their hands brushed once again, energy crackling between them.

“It’s a mask. I sewed it. It’ll keep your identity from me and let you enjoy your crepe.” Her voice was chirpy and sweet.

Adrien was at a loss for words, all due to Marinette and her infinite kindness. His sole attention was on the mask in his hands, turning it so he could have a good look at it. Well as good a look as the streetlights and the fires provided considering it was night-time.

She had definitely been the one to sew the mask. He could recognise her craftsmanship. It was all black with green stitching to match his superhero persona. She had also added slick black ribbons so he could secure the mask at the back of his head.

He must’ve taken too long so say something because Marinette was nervously twisting her hands on her lap and her eyes were focused on a spot on the table.

“It’s amazing. I love it, Mari. Thank you.” He finally said. Her blue eyes turned to his then and she wore the widest smile he had ever seen on her.

“I’ll turn around so you can take off the helmet and put it on.” Marinette turned, giving him privacy.

Adrien quickly discarded the helmet and replaced it with the black soft piece of fabric. He placed the helmet on the bench next to him, and then tied the mask behind his head as best as he could. Once he was done, he tapped her shoulder.

Marinette turned to face him. Her eyes scanned his face and the mask, and her hand darted up to touch it. She delicately ran her fingers over the seams and the edges, almost touching his skin.

His breath hitched.

“I can’t believe I actually got your measurements right. I thought it might look a bit awkward or not fit hundred percent, but it does. The holes also fall in the right place… I hope you like it.”

“I do and it fits perfectly, like you said.” He hated how out of breath he sounded, but there was no way he could hide how flustered he felt under her touch and her attention.

She didn’t seem notice or if she did, she didn’t comment on it. Instead she dropped her hand and turned to the crepe in front of them, pointing to it, signalling for him to try it now that there were no impediments.

The young man didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the fork and took a little piece of the dough, using it to scoop some of the chocolate that had oozed out when he cut into the crepe. He wasted no time in putting it in his mouth. His tongue met softness, warmth and sweetness. It was divine.

“It’s delicious!”

“I told you you’d love it!”

Marinette picked up the fork then and joined him. They shared the crepe at first, and then it slowly turned into a battle, as each one of them hoped to get the last piece. He hadn’t even finished the bite he was eating when the young woman stabbed the last piece and quickly shoved it in her mouth. She triumphantly set the fork down. He moaned, frustrated at his colossal loss.

He heard her giggle next to him and once he set his own fork down, he looked at her. She was smiling, like she had been all night, but there was something different about it this time.

There was some chocolate smeared on her cheek right over her freckles. He can only wonder how she managed to do that.

He chuckled to himself. Either way she looked every bit as beautiful as always. He reached over and started wiping the chocolate with his thumb. Her face grew red under his touch and he pondered if he had been too forward.

“Do I have chocolate on my face?” Her voice came out in a murmur. He nodded still focused on his task as she scrunched her eyes. “This is so embarrassing. Last time there was tomato sauce on my shirt, now there’s chocolate on my face…”

Adrien laughed at that, and she eventually joined him, embarrassment forgotten for a moment.

“You’re still beautiful, so you don’t have to worry.”

The rosiness that had tinted her cheeks returned full force and he would bet his face matched hers. It was even worse then, because he no longer had a helmet to hide it.

They put some distance between themselves and sat in silence for a moment. Thankfully they were interrupted by a young child who had walked over to them and broke the moment and the awkwardness.

“Are you a real princess?” The young girl was staring at Marinette in awe.

The young woman turned to her and smiled brightly.

“Just for today.” Marinette replied.

“Is he your prince?” The young girl asked with a curious expression as she pointed at Adrien.

He smiled at the young girl’s questions. Marinette looked at him and then blushed, turning once again to the child.

“He is my knight in shining armour.” It was her response and for some reason it made his heart flutter in his chest. Because either way he was hers.

“He’s not wearing a helmet. He’s got one of those masks like racoons or thieves do.” The child pointed out, prompting a snort from Marinette.

In all honesty he could only feel offended. He pulled a sound from the back of his throat that clearly manifested his feelings regarding their exchange.

Marinette couldn’t stop the snicker that escaped her.

Adrien squinted his eyes at her with a dissatisfied pout on his lips.

“Well, you see, sometimes knights need to go on secret missions to protect the princess. He needs a mask for that, like a superhero.”

The little girl nodded at that, as if it made perfect sense. “Like Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“Exactly like Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

The girl stared at him attentively then, as if trying to solve a puzzle. “He kind of looks like Chat Noir.”

Marinette giggled and the young girl joined her.

“He does, doesn’t he?” A conspiratorial look passed between him and Marinette.

The young girl turned once again to Marinette, as if she was far more interesting than him. He couldn’t blame her really. Not when she was hundred percent right.

“When I grow up, I want to be a princess like you, and I want to have a knight of my own, to go on secret missions and protect me.”

Marinette’s laugh was soft, and it was quickly becoming his favourite sound in the world.

“Here.” Marinette removed the crown from her head and placed it on the little girl’s, whose eyes had gone wide in surprise and shock. Adrien saw the way her lips split into a happy grin. “You’re a princess now.”

For some reason, he was disappointed to see Marinette without her crown.

Just as Marinette returned to her place next to him, he noticed the girl’s mother was making her way towards them, finally realising her daughter had left her side and was conversing with strangers.

“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just run off like that. I was so scared you’d gotten lost!”

“Sorry, Mama. But look! The princess gave me her crown.”

The mother looked between her child and the two of them.

“I apologise on her behalf. She said to the two of them “You interrupted their date, sweetie. You can’t do that, and you can’t keep the crown.” The mother scolded her child.

“It’s fine, really. Besides, I gave her the crown.”

Adrien’s heart beat faster at the fact someone assumed they were on a date. They were. Well, a _fake_ date. But Marinette hadn’t correct them, and for some reason that filled him with hope. Was he foolish for feeling that way? Perhaps. Did he care? Not particularly. Especially not when Marinette was standing that close to him and had called him her knight in shining armour only instants ago.

“Are you sure?” The mother’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Marinette nodded.

“Thank you so much. Now, what do we say to the young lady?” The mother placed a hand on the child’s back and pointed at them, clearly encouraging the child to say thank you.

“Thank you very much.”

Mother and child left them then. The young girl turned one more time to wave goodbye and they both waved in return with two matching grins.

Once they were left alone, even though he had a mask on, Adrien put the helmet back on, simply because he didn’t want to carry it around the fair in his hand. Besides one of his hands was rather busy.

It had been a nerve-shattering moment really.

After having discarded the plate and the cutlery and wandering further into the fair in look for other attractions and stands, Adrien had almost lost Marinette in the crowd. That event finally gave him the courage he needed to ask her if she wanted to hold hands. Perhaps ask was not the right word. He had not in fact asked her.

The words would not move past his throat. So, instead, he had tentatively touched the back of his hand to hers. She hesitated and for a split second he thought he had ruined it all and had made a fool of himself, but then she grabbed his hand, interlaced their fingers together and he practically face-planted the floor as his heart did a somersault in his chest.

After the initial shock passed, he smiled to himself while looking at the floor, trying to hide his happiness from her.

Marinette had moved her hand without looking down. Her attention was on the parade and the cosplayers that walked past them making jokes and interacting with the kids. Her eyes shone as she laughed at their performance and he felt a comforting warmth spread through his body.

She was happy and was having a good time with him. That was all that mattered to him.

He rubbed little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. His gesture prompted her to close the distance between them. Her other hand curled around his arm, and her head rested against it. The top of her head didn’t reach past his shoulder and he thought it was endearing.

He felt warm and content. Everything was perfect.

As they were leaving the fair, Adrien spotted a flower crown made up of red roses and blue forget-me-nots with soft pink flowing ribbons at the back. It was perfect for Marinette.

“Come with me.” He gently tugged on their joined hands and walked to the stand. The vendor was already packing up for the night.

“Good evening, sorry I know you’re packing up your stand, but I was just wondering if I could get that flower crown?” Adrien asked as he pointed at the one that had caught his attention.

“Ch-Kitty, you don’t have to get it for me.”

He noticed she had almost called him Chat in front of the vendor and caught herself just in time.

“You gave your crown to the little girl.” He said in a sad tone, “You deserve a new one.”

Her face softened as she looked up at him and he had to turn his attention back to the vendor afraid he might do something very, very stupid.

“That one is 15€.”

Adrien was about to hand the man the notes when Marinette pulled his arm back, “I don’t want you to spend that kind of money on me, please.”

“It’s my treat.”

“You’ve already paid for the crepe.” She insisted.

“Yes, but that was something entirely different.”

The both of them looked back to the vendor who had coughed to get their attention.

He was smiling at the two of them, clearly entertained with their exchange, “I’ll tell you what, take it for 5€, I can see you’re young and in love and you deserve it.”

Adrien blushed all the way to the tip of his ears, and he could see from the corner of his eye that Marinette was not fairing any better.

The man took the money from Adrien’s hand, because he had suddenly frozen and stopped functioning. When he took the crown from the man’s hand, he did so automatically.

He turned then to Marinette and placed the crown carefully on her head. They were so close, the only reason why he couldn’t feel the heat of her body was his stupid armour costume.

He supposed they were cursed. Always doomed to have a barrier between the two of them.

Marinette touched the crown once he removed his hands.

“Thank you.” She sounded breathless.

“My pleasure.” He replied in a murmur.

“Everyone knows red roses mean love, but so do blue forget-me-nots. You’re made for each other.” The man said before he left with his cart, leaving the two young people by themselves.

⚬◉⚬

Adrien laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. His hand still cradling the cheek she had kissed after he dropped her off at home. For long as he lived, he didn’t think he’d be able to forget the way that chaste little kiss had felt. His mind was lost in memories of that moment. Memories he would treasure forever.

He had transformed in the safety of her bedroom and then they had made their way to her balcony, to bid their goodbyes.

He thought the night and the date was over when she waved shily at him and bid him a safe trip home. But then she had asked him to wait.

Chat had turned back, to look at her freckled face and ocean eyes.

She had looked radiant under the moonlight.

Even the darkness of the night hadn’t been able to hide the way her cheeks matched the colour of the red flowers on her head.

“Thank you for tonight. I had a really good time. Oh, and thank you for the crown and the rose.” She had pointed first to object on her head and then back towards her bedroom to indicate the flower.

“No-no problem.” He had stuttered out, as her presence and her sweet smile seemed to have jumbled all his thoughts.

He had smiled awkwardly unsure of what else to say. It was then that she had risen to the tips of her toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, while cradling his other one in her hand.

Her lips had been so soft and her breath so warm, he had lost all ability to think.

As he thought back on it, he supposed he had reacted rather embarrassingly. He had been a mess. Especially when he practically tripped over a vase of flowers and mumbled a rushed apology before waving one more time and disappearing into the night in a rush.

But none of that could erase the fact she had kissed his cheek.

So, there he was, laying on his bed, still on cloud nine, and wearing a smile that wouldn’t fade.

Plagg was sitting on the nightstand eating his stinky cheese. The smell of the camembert kind of put a damp on his mood, but not even that was enough to bring him down from his high.

“You know when Kagami broke up with me because she said I had unresolved feelings for someone?”

Plagg hummed, too focused and invested on his snack.

“I never understood how she would know about my feelings for Ladybug, but what if she wasn’t talking about Ladybug? What if she was talking about Marinette?”

“Of course she was talking about Marinette.” Plagg rolled his eyes. “How would she know you were in love with Ladybug?”

The silence stretched for a while, the only sound he could hear was Plagg chewing, as Adrien mulled over his kwami’s words.

When the young man broke the stillness that had settled in his bedroom, it was to speak words that would perhaps change everything between him and Marinette.

“Did I have to go on a fake date with Marinette to finally realise I’ve got these feelings for her? This is all such a mess.” Adrien rubbed his face in desperation.

Plagg shrugged his tiny shoulders, seemingly not interested in the conversation at all. But even he stopped chewing when Adrien spoke next in a whisper.

“I think I might be falling for her, if I haven’t already.”


	4. Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _His voice was breathless when he spoke next, “Can I kiss you?"_
> 
> _Marinette’s expression turned into one of shock, her mouth slightly agape, because she never thought she would hear those words coming from his mouth._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! 
> 
> i really really hope you enjoy this chapter. i've been so excited about it and i wanted to share it so badly! let me know what you think on the comments
> 
> you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire) or [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/darthnoire)
> 
> until next time 💖

⚬◉⚬ Fake Date Number 3 ⚬◉⚬

“I still don’t know how you managed to get tickets for this.” Marinette whispered to Chat as they sat on their assigned seats.

“I have my ways.” She could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

Somehow the ally-cat had managed to get last minute tickets to a super exclusive showing of Phantom of the Opera in Paris. The company had travelled from the UK to France for just this one showing, and it had sold out in minutes. He had also managed to get some amazing seats, that had to have been expensive. Very expensive.

The “how” would forever remain a mystery. Marinette couldn’t pry, though, too anxious she would be overstepping, and encouraging him to overshare his civilian life.

The young woman settled herself, placing her coat over her knees. As soon as she was comfortable, she let her eyes wander to have a proper look around the space.

It was magnificent. The yellow lights cast a soft ember glow around the room, highlighting the brightness and luxury of the golden leaf, and the richness of the red velvet of the curtains.

“Do you like it?” Chat murmured in his soft and comforting baritone that made her heart flutter.

She nodded, unable to speak or even look at him, not ready to face whatever she might see reflected in his eyes.

He was once again out of his super-suit, wearing smart black trousers, and a contrasting white shirt. The outfit fit him perfectly. He was good looking even out of his suit. Not that she had ever had any doubts.

To conceal his identity, Chat was wearing the black mask she had gifted him on their last date.

 _Fake date_.

Marinette had to keep reminding herself. Somehow ever since their first date, the lines had become blurred. At least for her.

It seemed it was all happening too fast and so she tried to keep her feelings under wraps, even if it felt like she was failing miserably. The last thing she wanted was to ruin their easy friendship.

But she found it particularly hard and felt her resolve crumble when he would look at her with his green eyes, either human or feline-like and with a beautiful and kind smile on his face.

_You’re friends. He’s doing this as a favour. There’s nothing else._

Marinette would repeat those words before their dates. It became a sort of a ritual it seemed, because she had started doing it since they started this whole charade. Never mind the fact that repeating those words didn’t make them any truer. That in itself should have been her sign that things had already changed.

At that moment their relationship was precariously balanced, and she feared what would happen if one of them tipped the scale too far. Would they both fall? Would she be the only one falling, pieces tumbling down around her as she was left alone to pick them up?

No. She wouldn’t let it happen. She had meant to get over Adrien, not fall for another man. But the heart wanted what it wanted apparently, and it had certainly thumped erratically all night when they were at the medieval fair.

His touch had burned her skin, setting her whole being on fire. She had attributed it to the fact they had been holding hands with no suit in-between, but even she knew that was an excuse.

He had awoken something in her, and she was viciously fighting against it.

The red rose and the flower crown had made her heart soar and foolishly made her wish for more. For all of it to be real.

When the vendor had told them that they were meant for each other, she had let herself believe that. At least until the end of the night. She had been able to pretend they were a real couple, out on a real date. Everyone around them seemed to think so anyway.

However, the pretence only made it worse. It hurt her so more once he was gone and she was left alone in her bedroom to realise their feelings on the whole situation were completely different. It ached, and it ached, and she only wish she could make it stop.

Tikki had hugged her and advising her to drop the whole thing, and not to go on anymore dates.

Marinette had considered the idea for a while, until it dawned on her she would have to give Chat a reason for her change of mind, and she was not sure she would be able to lie to him while looking him in the eye. She also wouldn’t be able to say it didn’t matter that Alya found out it had all been a ruse, because of course it still mattered. That was how they had ended up in that whole situation to begin with.

At least one thing was for sure. Alya was right. A new fling had helped her with her feelings for Adrien. Just not in the way she had expected.

As much as she hated the whole situation, she also bitterly loved it. She would find herself looking forward to their dates, to his messages, and she couldn’t help the smile and the feelings of warmth and happiness that would course through her whenever she thought of him.

He would text her at random times of the day if he saw something that reminded him of her. She melted whenever he confessed a certain book or a flower, or a moment had made his mind drift to her. She started doing the same, only to realise that even the simplest things would make her think of him.

She was utterly doomed.

Surely in the end the heartbreak was worth all those fleeting moments of happiness. Surely the heartbreak was worth all these things she would probably never have with him otherwise.

In-between dates they would have their usual friend meetings. He would come over for videogames or films, and they would try and keep their dates out of the equation, because they both certainly felt they would be crossing one too many lines. So ever since their second date they kept their hanging out sessions strictly friendly and would only text about the dates and their details.

They were still affectionate with each other. They would hug and bump each other’s shoulders, trying to distract the other and get the upper hand on whatever game they would be playing. They would brush hands as they reached for the popcorn and would cuddle under a blanket when it was too cold.

Marinette was thankful for that normality and for their friendship. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to not be friends with Chat Noir – to not be friends with her partner. It would certainly ruin their superhero dynamic, unbeknownst to him.

She tried to dispel those thoughts. She was meant to be having fun, watching Phantom of the Opera for the first time. With her fake date.

“Hey, are you alright? Don’t you like it? We can leave if you want.” He had placed a hand over hers and squeezed it. The worry was evident from his tone. Her heart clenched in her chest. Either in agony or in joy, she was not sure. Perhaps a bit of both.

His eyes were piercing right into her soul and his naked hand over her knee sent electric shocks through her body.

“No, no. I think I might just be a bit overwhelmed, that’s all. I’ve never seen Phantom before.” She offered him a weak smile.

It wasn’t a lie. Part of her nervousness was certainly related to the show. But certainly not all of it.

Chat’s hand remained over hers, his body close to her. It made her feel dizzy and lightheaded, intoxicated by the feeling.

He was so close, and he only seemed to be getting closer with each bated breath they shared, and each heartbeat that echoed in their ears.

It was as if an invisible force was pulling them together, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were helplessly tangled. It was inevitable.

Marinette’s breath caught in her throat as Chat’s eyes roamed her face and stopped at her lips. She mimicked the gesture. Her blue eyes moved from his green ones to his rosy lips.

The world around them stopped. It was just them in that moment, in that place – a tiny sliced piece of time and space that was reserved just for the two young people. A bubble, if you will. And just like bubbles – ephemeral and so fragile – oh so fragile – the moment broke abruptly, letting reality crash over them.

“Excuse me, I just need to get to my seat.” An older gentleman had spoken as he tapped Chat’s shoulder. The latter’s head whipped around suddenly, and his hand left its rightful place over hers.

Marinette missed it dearly.

“Oh, of course. I apologise.” Chat Noir rose from his seat, followed by Marinette.

She barely even registered the man walking past them. Her mind was still reeling as she tried so hard to come back to the present. She could only wonder how Chat did it. He had managed to speak and be polite, and even offer a smile. She could do none of that. She had been deeply affected by whatever moment of intimacy they had shared. It was then the thought struck her painfully.

It was all in her head. She had been the one to conjure the moment, the intimacy they had just shared. To Chat they were just friends. None of it meant anything.

They sat down once again.

Marinette stole a glance at the man that had just walked past them, as an excuse to avoid looking at Chat. She noticed the stranger was looking funnily at Chat, probably due to the fact he was wearing a mask. But then again, they were watching Phantom of the Opera, a lot of people liked to cosplay and dress the part. The man eventually shrugged his shoulders, deeming the mask inconsequential and not out of place.

She still released a sigh of relief. It was hard to go on a date with a superhero and hide that fact.

The young woman couldn’t avoid her partner’s gaze forever, and when she turned to face him, she realised Chat was looking at her with bittersweet expression on his face. For some reason that gave her hope. But before either of them could speak the words that were on the tips of their tongues, words that came straight form their hearts, the lights shifted, and the music started to play.

They both turned their attention to the stage as the opening scene began.

Halfway through the first part Chat’s hand had found hers in the dark. Her heart leaped in her chest and she took his hand without hesitation.

The darkness of the room concealed their blushes and the music muffled the sound of their hearts beating in tandem for each other.

⚬◉⚬

Marinette left the theatre with her emotions running wildly. She had cried and laughed at the show and all that was left was a feeling of contentment. Contentment at having had the opportunity to watch it, and experience it live.

The actors had been amazing, and their voices were absolutely breath-taking. Musicals often made Marinette wish she could sing. She absolutely loved them, and she admired all the parts involved in the process, including all the behind stage work that the public often failed to realise was just as important and without which there would be no show.

She and Chat left the Opera Garnier singing at the top of their lungs, even if their voices faltered on certain notes, and people were looking at them with either curiosity, amusement or displeasure. They did not care. Not one bit.

“Did you like it then?” Chat asked when they eventually grew tired of singing.

“Are you kidding? I loved it! It was one of the best dates I’ve been on and - ” She trailed off when she recognised the implications of what she had just admitted to.

She cleared her throat and willed her heart to settle in her chest.

“Well, fake date. Definitely the best fake date I’ve ever been on. Thank you.” She added with a smile that was way too wide to be considered real as she looked up at him. She hoped Chat hadn’t noticed it.

Marinette turned her gaze forward once again, focusing on the road, and the light coming from the streetlamps.

She heard him produce a sound from the back of his throat, which sounded like a grunt. Marinette was unsure of how to interpret it. She supposed he could just be agreeing with her, even if deep down she had wished he would contradict her.

The Seine reflected the artificial light from the street and the buildings around, distorting it in a way that made them look like a million stars. The sound of the water crashing against the margins filled her with a sense of peace.

The streets were practically empty, probably due to the lateness of the hour.

Before she became Ladybug, she would have been scared to walk these streets alone at this hour. But not anymore. But she supposed even if she weren’t Ladybug, she would have felt safe walking next to Chat Noir. In his civilian self or not.

That thought made her gravitate closer to him. He must’ve noticed because he brushed the back of his hand against hers, like he had done on their second date. And just like then, she took his hand in hers, against her better judgement.

That was how they found themselves walking hand in hand through the streets of Paris towards her apartment.

He swung their hands forward and then let them fall back rapidly, eliciting a laugh from her. His laughter joined hers, as she was the one to swing their hands next.

They turned into a sort of a game.

Chat started pulling her hand in unpredictable directions – to the front, towards him, away from him, then to the back, and softly, or then strongly – which prompted her to try to guess what he would do, so she could counter it.

It eventually led to the two young people to practically stumble over themselves, sometimes almost colliding with the floor or a lamppost they had failed to see. Whenever they took it too far, Chat was right there to catch her or pull her to him. Every time he did, Marinette could feel warmth and affection radiating from him. She felt safe and calm in his embrace, even if her heart was beating at an alarming speed.

Their laughter echoed loudly through the night and none of them cared.

They reached her apartment too quickly, which cut the date short. She wished their walk would have taken all night.

She fit the key in the door and opened, leading both of them inside.

They made their way to her bedroom.

Marinette felt the wall, looking for the light switch, releasing a soft sound of victory when she managed to find it and flick it on.

She dropped her bag on the bed, while Chat Noir transformed back in the safety of her bedroom.

No matter how many times she saw it, it would always feel slightly foreign to her see the green light engulfing him from head to toe. The trousers, the shirt and the soft black mask were replaced by leather.

He threw her a smile before he opened the window and stepped into her balcony. She thought he was leaving, so she followed him outside to bid him goodbye. But Chat just leaned against the rail and made no motion to leave.

He looked up at the sky and released a content sigh. Marinette joined him, mimicking his gesture.

The two of them gazed at the Parisian sky in silent for a few minutes admiring the moon that shone brightly. An occasional cloud would eclipse it, turning the world slightly darker for a couple of minutes.

Marinette broke the silence.

“I feel like lately all we’ve talked about is my love life, but I haven’t asked about yours in a while. How are you feeling after your break-up? I know it’s been a while, but you said your ex-girlfriend blamed your lingering feelings for Ladybug for the failure of your relationship, and we never really talked it out.”

Marinette leaned forward so she could have a better look of his face and his reaction. She was scared she was getting too involved in his personal life. Afraid she was asking too much. Asking something she had no right to know, even if they were close friends.

He took a deep breath, and the young woman thought he wouldn’t reply. That she had poked and stirred his sleeping demons and heartache and that she had made a terrible mistake. There was an apologise at the tip of her tongue, but he spoke before she could.

“I realised not too long ago that maybe she was referring to someone else.” He paused, still looking at the city, missing the way her eyes widen with curiosity. “I always assumed she had meant Ladybug, obviously. She is my partner and my first love after all, and I don’t think I’ll ever completely get over her simply because she was the first.”

“Tell me about it.” She murmured as she laid her head on the back of her hands, which had been resting on the rail.

He grunted in agreement before he carried on, “It only clicked in my mind a couple of weeks ago that there was no way she could’ve known about Ladybug. So, she was definitely talking about someone else. I should’ve realised sooner.”

Her mouth drew into an “o” shape at his confession.

“Do you regret it then? Because maybe if you had understood she was talking about someone else then, you could’ve prevented your break-up?”

He shook his head. “No. She was right.”

Marinette did not miss the way his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed at the mention of that mystery someone. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, while something foul uncoiled in the pits of her stomach.

She recognised the feeling to be jealousy. She did everything in her power to ignore it and tame it. She had no reason – nor the right – to feel jealous or anything akin to that. She managed to jail the monster that had made its appearance inside of her, but it somehow clung to her with its vicious claws, never truly disappearing. Lingering in the back. Dormant.

The young woman tried to focus on the environment around her instead of the roiling tempest occurring inside of her. She concentrated on the sounds of the night and the traffic, which let her ground herself to reality and ignore the unpleasant feelings inside of her.

“So…” Chat changed the subject and cleared his throat before continuing, “How are things with Alya? Is she still on your case? Have you shown her some of the pictures we took?”

Marinette inhaled deeply in relief before replying, happy for the change of subject.

“Yeah! As I told you before, I sent her a picture of our dinner later that same night, and then I showed her a picture of the crepe and the flowers you gave me on our second date the next day when we met up for breakfast. She didn’t even bat an eye. She was just happy for me.” She shrugged, “So I guess we must be doing something right.”

She forced herself to chuckle, but it came out dry and fake.

He nodded and hummed in agreement before gesturing around vaguely. “Definitely. I mean, we’ve been putting a lot of effort into these.”

The way he said the sentence didn’t allow for Marinette to see the way he truly felt about it, so she looked up at him, hoping to be able to read his expression.

Looking at him was maybe a mistake.

He looked handsome.

He had always been, of course, but she had never admitted it as Ladybug. She couldn’t. But as Marinette, things were different. Certainly no less complicated. Perhaps even more so. However, she was too far gone to care. Things had spiralled too far out of control for her to be able to stop herself.

The leather suit absorbed and reflected some of the moonlight simultaneously. His much shorter golden locks than when they were teenagers shone under the light and she found herself wanting to run her hand through them. Not that she hadn’t done that before, but this was different. His green eyes were bright, and intense, vibrating and pulsating with an energy only he possessed and had driven her in. Pulled her in like a magnet.

If she had felt her staring at him and that was why he decided to look at her, she would never know, but suddenly his eyes were boring into hers.

“I’m glad I can help. Besides, I don’t know about you, but for me, this is definitely a confidence booster, since we are actually lying to Alya Césaire, who is a great detective and practically impossible to trick.” He snorted.

Marinette joined him.

“It probably makes us bad people, but I feel the same.” It only slightly added to the secret of her identity, which was much bigger, and she not only kept from Alya but from everyone else too.

“At least I hope you’ve also learned not to let your competitive spirit get the best of you. It led to _cat_ -astrophic consequences.” Chat Noir said as he wiggled his eyebrows and pointed at himself.

Marinette shook her head and tried to contain her laughter. She would not give him the satisfaction. She _would not_ give him the satisfaction.

Her resolution cracked when he made his cat ears flutter and his tail swish behind him, and whispered the word cat-astrophic again, with an emphasis on ‘cat’.

The young woman laughed then, and he joined, surely finding her laughter too contagious to resist.

They shared a moment of contentment and intimacy that was interrupted by the night breeze, which had suddenly picked up causing some of Marinette’s hair tendrils to blow over her face.

Before she could tuck them back behind her ear, Chat Noir caught them between his fingers.

His claws brushed over the skin of her cheek and temple as he tucked them back. Her breath hitched at his touch, and her heart somersaulted in her chest, as the feeling of a million butterflies fluttering their wings emerged in her stomach.

She felt like she was falling, plunging into an unknown abyss. Perhaps that was where the expression had come from.

_Falling for someone._

Even though he was touching her skin with his dangerous claws that had the power to destroy anything in their wake when infused with power, his touch was gentle and reverent.

Her eyes fluttered closed of their own volition.

She let herself bask in his care, in his gentle touch. Her eyes opened again when he finished the task and cradled her cheek in his hand. She leaned into the touch as if she had always belonged there. As if it was her rightful place.

His voice was breathless when he spoke next, “Can I kiss you?”

Marinette’s expression turned into one of shock, her mouth slightly agape, because she never thought she would hear those words coming from his mouth.

His eyes shifted suddenly, and she could read panic in them.

“For Alya.” He added in a rush.

Those were not the words she had expected to hear after that question. Hearing anyone else’s name after asking to kiss someone was never good, but those words seemed to have carved a hole in her chest.

Her heart dropped, leaving it suspended, hanging by a thin thread of hope. Her developing feelings for him didn’t let that single thread split. And if it did, she knew her heart would inevitably break. Instead, the thin thread hung firmly and strongly, her heart dangling dangerously close to its fall and doom.

Despite her slight heartbreak, the possibility of kissing him clouded her thoughts. She had never wanted something so much. She had never wanted something so badly. His proximity was intoxicating, and she felt heady and drunk on it.

She tried to speak, but her voice failed, so she nodded as best as she could, considering her cheek was still in his hand.

Chat Noir had always been very expressive, and she didn’t miss the way his eyes got brighter, and his slits narrower. She was not sure what that could possibly mean, but it didn’t matter anymore – not when they were so close to each other.

Their breaths mingled together as he got closer. The hero removed the hand that was touching her cheek, baring it to the cold Parisian air. She shivered at the loss of contact. But that emptiness and coldness was only momentary.

He curled his fingers, placing his indicator under her chin to tilt her head up to him. She let him. His touch was like an electric shock through her body. And it was addicting.

Their bodies were impossibly close to each other without touching. Their only point of contact was his index on her chin. It was simultaneously too much and not enough.

She could feel the warmth of his lips so close to hers, mere millimetres away from her.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

Marinette held her breath. She could feel him, feel his presence and how he inundated her senses. It was achingly exhilarating.

He got closer.

Closer.

His lips ghosted over hers. It was barely even a touch – barely even a caress that lasted less than a second. But it was enough to send her body into overdrive.

Their mouths hovered, tantalising close to each other, but not touching. The anticipation and the promise of that single minute touch consumed the young woman. It was sweet torture and she was basking in it.

She tried to draw a breath into her lungs, but they seemed to have stopped functioning. There was both a heaviness and lightness in her chest that prevented her from doing so.

Chat closed the distance between their bodies and then his lips finally found hers once again. The touch was firmer this time, but still gentle.

His mouth was soft against hers. So soft.

It took her only a second to respond to his ministrations. Their kiss was languid, and relaxed. There was no rush. They had all the time in the world.

Marinette’s hands made their way to his chest and she rested them there, feeling the leather under her palms. She had expected to be met with the coldness of the material of his suit, instead she was met with warmth. He was warmth, and security after all.

Under her right hand she could feel the steady rhythm of his beating heart and that brought her comfort and peace.

His hand moved to her waist and rested there, pulling her gently closer to him. She let him. She needed to be closer. And closer. And closer.

Their lips brushed against each other in a rhythm they seemed to already know. It felt familiar and yet it was so new at the same time.

The stars shone in the sky, the slight breeze kept blowing, the noise of the city at night kept drumming in the background, but none of that mattered. There was only the two of them in that moment. Everything else was inconsequential. For all she cared, the world could have stopped just for the two of them. Because Chat Noir was kissing her, and she was kissing him back.

Over and over. Gently and slowly, and it was absolutely perfect.

The two of them eventually parted for air. Even if their lips were no longer touching, they remained in each other’s personal space, afraid they might break the moment. The thought of moving was too painful to even consider. She never wanted to leave his arms.

Chat moved his hand from under her chin, cradling her cheek once again.

Their gaze never faltered. His eyes roamed her face as a small smile graced his lips. Marinette wondered what he was seeing. She wondered if he was looking at her thoroughly kissed and bruised lips, just like she was looking at his. She wondered if he thought her to be as beautiful as she did him. She wondered if she had awoken something in him – something so strong and powerful that she could barely contain. Just like he had in her.

“Kiss me again.” There was no reason for her to say those words and yet they left her lips either way.

Chat didn’t need to be told twice, because as soon as she finished her sentence, his lips assaulted hers.

There was less gentleness this time. Quite the opposite. He was relentless and frantic as he kissed her. She didn’t care. She kissed him back just as fiercely.

Whereas their first kiss had been slow, and paced, their second one was frenzied and desperate and it burned. It was as scorching hot as the sun.

It was consuming her, and she did not mind in the slightest. Let her burn for all she cared. If this is how she was meant to meet her end, she would gladly accept it.

It would be worth it.

Her lips sought his insistently when he tried to slow their pace. Marinette was not about to let him slow down. Not when he had awoken this hunger for him inside of her.

She let her tongue brush against his bottom lip tentatively. He responded by asking her permission to deepen the kiss with a brush of his. She gladly granted it and revelled in the feeling.

Her arms wove around his neck. Chat took it as his signal to move the hand on her hip back and south, placing it at the end of her back. He used his advantage to pull her flush against him, eliminating the last silver of space between them.

Her body thrummed with satisfaction. 

The hand that had been cradling her cheek moved to the back of her neck. Chat’s fingers tangled in her hair, his claws rasping against her scalp. It drew a moan from her that he swallowed.

She would have felt embarrassed if the sound hadn’t prompted a similar one to erupt from his throat. Soon after, a purr joined it, and she revelled in it, letting it settle over the two of them and set a rhythm for their kisses.

When Marinette had been looking at him earlier, she had wished to touch his blond locks, so now that she had the opportunity, she let herself indulge. She let her fingers run through them thoroughly. They were as soft as she remembered them to be.

Chat kissed her more deeply then, as if rewarding her for her touch.

She let him.

Their kisses were hot and unrelenting.

They were past the point of no return. No backward glances. No use resisting.

Marinette lost all sense of time.

Eventually he slowed their kisses and softened his hold on her, allowing her to recover a resemblance of control over her feelings and thoughts. It seemed he was the one with the restraint out of the two of them, because she was not sure how far she would be taking this if he hadn’t slowed them down.

She had always known she could trust him with her life. But in that moment, she realised she could have trusted him with her heart all along too.

If only she hadn’t taken so long to realise it. If only she had kissed him on the right side of the mask. If only…

It was all a mess and it was her fault.

Her mind was brought back to the present as he kissed her once more on the lips, deliberately and gently before pulling apart.

Chat let their foreheads touch as they regained their breath for the second time that night.

That stayed like that for a moment, until his hold on her started tasting like a lie. A beautiful lie, but a lie, nonetheless. She let him hold her until it became too painful to bear. Because none of it was real. Because it was all _fake_.

“It’s late.” She said in a small voice, removing herself from his embrace. She wrapped her arms around herself.

His posture changed suddenly at her reaction. He also seemed to retreat into himself.

 _Probably with regret_ , she thought.

“I should go.” The hero whispered breathlessly.

She nodded unable to meet him the eye, focusing instead on a spot in the horizon above his shoulder.

Chat approached her slowly once again, one of his hands cradling her cheek and his lips placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She let her eyes close to revel in the feeling of his touch on her.

It was over too soon.

He offered her a small smile and then with an awkward wave he jumped into the night. She waved after him, unable to do anything else.

Her body already missed his like an uncontrollable hunger, like a craving.

She let herself lean against the cold window with her rampaging thoughts and emotions.

It was only when Tikki wiped some of her tears from her cheeks that Marinette realised she was crying.

⚬◉⚬

Marinette was already in bed with her pyjamas on, eyes still red and puffy from before. She furrowed further into the comforter, seeking the warmth she lacked. But she knew the thick duvet would offer her no reprieve, because what she was missing, she couldn’t have.

She ignored the pang she felt in her heart at that thought. Instead, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand to do something she should have done a long time ago - saving the pictures she took with Chat Noir in a protected folder. She scrolled through them with longing. Looking at those photos was both a blessing and a curse.

The young woman sighed deeply and from the corner of her eye she could see Tikki offering a comforting smile. She smiled back but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was no point in hiding her heartbreak from her kwami.

She transferred all the photos where Chat appeared into a private folder that required a password. That included all the selfies they had taken on their first date and some other ones from the medieval fair.

As she finished the task, she plugged her phone in and turned it off, switching off the lights of her bedroom next, and plunging her room into darkness. Into a darkness that somehow matched how she felt inside.

Sleep came to her eventually, but it was fitful and restless as she dreamt of stolen kisses and green eyes.

Once she woke up in the morning, she would not remember if her dreams had been of Adrien or Chat Noir.


	5. Chapter V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Well, only one of you gets the big toy. Sorry, kiddos.” The woman said with a smile as she got up on a ladder._
> 
> _She started taking the Ladybug plushie down, when Marinette stopped her. “No, I want the Chat Noir one.”_
> 
> _The woman stopped, surprise marring her features. “You sure? Most people want Ladybug. She is the leader after all.”_
> 
> _Marinette shrugged her shoulder, “I’m not most people. I want the Chat Noir plushie.” ___
> 
> __
> 
> __Chat Noir and Marinette go on date number four and the hero realises Marinette is more of a Chat Noir fan than she had let on._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING:
> 
> EVEN THOUGH THIS CHAPTER IS STILL NOT CONSIDERED MATURE, IT IS RATED HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONES SO LOOK AT THE TAGS I'VE ADDED BEFORE CONTINUING. I WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE ON THIS PAGE.
> 
> NOW THAT THAT IS OUT OF THE WAY: 
> 
> Hey! 
> 
> Since I had the chapter ready, I did a poll on twitter asking if should post the chapter today or wait until next Thursday. Most wanted the chapter posted today, so here it is. Hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Also, I did some art for this fic, here's [marichat under the moonlight](https://twitter.com/babsskywalker/status/1325407368914620417?s=20)
> 
> PS.: Read the end notes please, I want to hear your theories after this chapter.

⚬◉⚬Fake Date Number 4⚬◉⚬

Adrien took a deep breath. 

He had never felt so intimidated by a door in his entire life. It was ludicrous really. He knew what would happen once he knocked. Marinette would open it, looking as radiant as ever and his heart would stop beating, and his lungs would stop working and his tongue would get stuck and he would look like an utter idiot. But none of that would matter. Because she would smile at him and they would go on their date and everything would be fine. 

_Fake date._ Just that thought was enough to make his heart break in two. 

He raised his hand, ready to rap his knuckles against the wood, but his body stopped of its own accord before he could.

A spike of nerves cursed through his body. He reached for the mask over his eyes to make sure he hadn’t forgotten it and it was still in place. If he had been thinking rationally, he would know the mask was there, like it had been the last hundred times he had checked. 

As soon as his fingers met the black fabric, he could hear Plagg’s mocking tone from earlier in his head. 

Adrien took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

He had spent hours in his bedroom fretting over his outfit and the mask and making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. 

It was a miracle there were no marks left from his pacing on the floorboards of his bedroom. He had been going through speeches and scenarios in his mind, trying to prepare for every single outcome and possibility. 

Plagg had laughed and teased him endlessly. 

“What does it matter to you?”, Plagg had asked with a smug expression on his face, “It’s just a fake date anyway. Are you hoping to get another kiss?” 

“NO!” Adrien had replied indignantly, before his face turned red and he reluctantly admitted to the truth in a small voice, “Yes.” 

He really did. Truly. But he would never kiss her against her will, especially not after what had happened last time. 

Kissing Marinette on their last fake date hadn’t been planned, it had been a spur of the moment thing. Fuelled by the feelings he felt for her, and the way she had looked under the moonlight – ethereal and perfect – he had asked to kiss her. He had uttered those words without even thinking. Without considering the consequences. 

Even though he didn’t regret it, not one bit, the memory was bittersweet. 

For as long as he lived, he would never the forget the way Marinette’s lips had felt under his. The way they had moved together and moulded to each other like they had always belonged together. He could have sworn the world had stopped rotating on its axis. He could have sworn the stars had shone brighter for them and time had stopped so the two of them could have that moment. 

But then he would remember her reaction and his heart would fall. The way she had removed herself from his embrace, the way her face had fallen… Bittersweet indeed. 

“Just say it. You like Marinette!” Plagg had urged him as he swallowed another piece of camembert he had tossed in the air. 

_The glutton._

Adrien had remained silent, not wanting to answer, and deciding to focus on the task at hand instead. He looked at the hoodies displayed on his bed, trying to choose which colour to go with. 

Even though he had wished he could wear something a little more formal, the arcade they were going to called for casual, and the fact he was wearing a mask required a hoodie, so he could cover his head. 

Plagg had pestered him throughout the afternoon, whispering her name in Adrien’s ear, or playing romantic songs as he waltzed in the air across the room. He had made sure Adrien was looking at him, before he tossed him a kiss in the air. 

The young man had been at his wit’s end. 

The kwami had only stopped annoying him when Adrien had finally admitted his feelings with a shout. 

“Fine! I’m in love with Marinette but I don’t know how to tell her, because this is all a mess and I don’t know how to fix it!” 

His breath had hitched when he had realised what he had done. He had felt the blood drain from his face. 

With the way he had screamed the confession, it was quite possible either his father or Nathalie had heard it. 

Adrien had collapsed heavily on his bed with his head between his hands. 

“I can’t be in love with her, because I know she doesn’t like me like that, and I was only trying to help her move on when I suggested this whole thing.” He paused and wailed in pain, “I should’ve realised my feelings for her sooner.” 

He had rubbed his face with his right hand. 

“What if she likes you back, though?” Plagg had enquired. 

“Believe me, she doesn’t. You didn’t see the way she looked at me when I asked if I could kiss her. And after, for that matter.” 

His heart fell, and tears pricked at his eyes, because he was getting his heart broken by a girl with adorable freckles, soft black-haired and beautiful blue eyes for a second time. 

“But you also said she asked you to kiss her again.” Plagg countered as he sat on his knee. 

“Yeah, driven by the heat of the moment probably.” Adrien moaned with a broken voice. 

Plagg hadn’t said much more after that. He had patted the young man’s knee in affection and floated away, off to do whatever kwamis did on their spare time. 

That conversation had happened hours ago. He had eventually pulled himself back together, thinking that Marinette depended on him and he would do this for her! He wouldn’t let his feelings get the best of him and prevent him from helping her. He had promised her after all and the last thing he intended to do was disappoint her. She was his friend and he would be hers. First and foremost. Everything else came after, including his feelings for her. He would swallow those.

Adrien knocked on her door and waited for her to open it with bated breath. He tapped his hand against his leg, a nervous habit he had never had before. 

As the door opened, his nervousness disappeared, to be replaced with downright panic. He was sure his heart would burst out of his chest at any moment. 

Marinette was smiling, just like he knew she would be, and his brain short-circuited. 

“Hey, fancy seeing you here, kitty.” Her voice was soft and welcoming accompanied by a glint in her eyes. 

“Goodnight to you too, princess,” he replied with a side smirk and a teasing look as he crossed his arms, trying to bring back some semblance of his alter ego, and hiding away the insecurity his civilian self often carried like a burden. He wasn’t quite sure if he was being successful or if he just looked like an utter idiot. 

“Let me just grab my coat and my keys and then we can go.” She said before disappearing back into the house, but never leaving his sight.

Her presence was enough to sooth him, and even though he was still nervous, he could feel himself relax.

Adrien leaned against the threshold with a smile on his face, still entranced by her beauty. He knew his eyes had softened at the sight of her. He couldn’t hide the way he felt even if he wanted to. 

She was wearing a white long-sleeved top under a black dress that cinched at her waist and ended on her mid-thigh. Due to the coldness of the season, she had added some black tights to keep her warm. It was casual and perfect for their date. 

Marinette returned a couple of minutes later, bouncing eagerly. He only wished he could completely bury his nervousness and his budding feelings for her and feel as excited as she did.

He moved out of the way so she could close the door. 

“We’re actually going to the arcade! I’m so excited! You’re _so going down_! You’ll regret ever inviting me on this date!” 

_Doubtful. I could never regret any date with you. Even if it is fake._

That was what he wanted to say. Instead he opted for something much safer. 

“We’ll see about that. You’ve never seen this cat in action at the arcade.” He made a show of showing off his bicep and kissing it, prompting an eye-roll from the young woman. He thought he had seen her blush too, but he couldn’t be sure, since the artificial lights of the corridor didn’t allow for him to see her face properly, and he was also devoid of his night-vision.

As they left the building and made it outside, Adrien offered her his arm. She laced hers in his with no hesitation and that filled him with warmth.

They walked together through the cities of Paris at a leisurely pace.

Although it was winter, the sky was clear and there were no clouds in sight. There was also no moon in the sky that night, but it was possible to see some stubborn starts that outshined even the lights of the city. They were like beacons of hope and Adrien couldn’t stop himself from hoping. Wishing for more. Wishing for a chance. Much against his better judgement.

The cold had Marinette burrowing into him, and he couldn’t complain. She was right where she belonged – next to him. He only wished it was for real. He only wished he had the courage to admit his feelings to her. He wished he could confess them without ruining their friendship and their agreement.

Wishful thinking indeed.

He chased away those thoughts, intent on enjoying the night and her presence. Mari deserved that and much more.

“So, what games do you want to play?” He asked to make conversation.

She shrugged her shoulders before replying, “Mario Kart? We can do the basketball hoops too if you want, or a dance off?”

“No offence, but you, Marinette, the girl who trips over her own feet, dares challenge to a dance duel none other than Chat Noir, cat-superhero, who, without wanting to brag, is known to be amazing on his feet?” He bumped his shoulder against hers as a means to show he was only teasing, because he knew how amazing she actually was at videogames and how little of a chance he stood against her.

“You talk a lot, big guy. Let’s see if you’ll uphold the reputation of all cats and remain on your feet until the end of the night after I’ve knocked you down. Over and over again. You can even pick the games.” She finished with a confident shrug, a flick or her wrist and a side smile.

He gave all cats a bad name.

Adrien wanted to say that he was already a goner. That she had already swopped him off his feet without even giving him a chance to land gracefully.

But he couldn’t.

He decided to banter with her instead, resorting to his usual theatrics. That was safe ground. That was their comfort zone.

“You underestimate my power.” He said in a deep voice.

He forgot he was Chat Noir and said the quote without even thinking. People knew Adrien was a Star Wars fans and he quoted it all the time, but as Chat Noir things were different.

What if Marinette figured it out? What if she realised who he was? He was overthinking! There were a lot of Star Wars fans, it would be impossible for her to figure out his identity from just that.

Marinette replied instantly with no hesitation in a dramatic tone. “Don’t try it.”

He looked at her surprised with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t know you were a Star Wars fans, princess. I guess the nickname fits you even better now.”

She smiled up at him, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, nerf herder.”

The nickname, even though it was clearly meant to be an insult, did something to him. His heart somersaulted in his chest while butterflies fluttered their wings in his stomach.

“Are you saying I’m the Han Solo to your Princess Leia?” He asked looking like the cat who had gotten the canary and he waggled his eyebrows.

“You flatter yourself, you scoundrel.” She tapped his nose with the tip of her finger in nonchalance.

He certainly didn’t miss the way her cheeks heated up at his comment. However, he decided not to mention it. It made him warm inside knowing he had been the one to cause that reaction.

As they reached the arcade, they noticed it wasn’t too busy, probably since it was a weeknight and most people would be up early the next day. It worked all the better for them.

The less people saw him prancing around the city in a mask the better. If he had been slightly younger it was possible people would think he was just cosplaying or paying homage to the heroes, but at his age? The chances of that happening were slim. He could only hope.

The young man tried keeping his head down whenever possible, the hoodie covering the top half of his face.

If he had proposed this plan as Adrien things would have been much simpler, and they could go on dates without worrying about identities and they could be seen in public.

Scratch that.

He was sure his father would be vehemently against the whole thing. Gabriel Agreste would never understand faking a relationship as a way to help a friend.

On top of that reason, however, stood perhaps the most important one.

Surprisingly, or not, Marinette was not as close to Adrien as she was to Chat Noir, and she would have never done anything like this with his civilian self. Even though he knew it shouldn’t, that knowledge hurt him.

He didn’t understand why she was so much more comfortable around him as the hero than as the model and he had lost all hope of ever understanding. Things had obviously gotten better between them over the years, as they both hung out with Alya and Nino, but Marinette would often still avoid being alone with him at all costs. Something that certainly didn’t happen as Chat Noir. The two of them would spend hours upon hours in her bedroom and never once was it awkward.

He only wished he could find out why.

Before he could dwell on the subject for much longer, he was brought back to the present by Marinette’s pull on his arm. She guided him to one of the claw-machines, and pointed at the stuffed plushies. The machine was filled with toys of Chat Noir and Ladybug.

“You know those are rigged, right?” Chat commented in a teasing tone.

“Yeah, so what? They’re fun!” Marinette piped in, inserting some coins into the machine. It whirred to life as the young woman pressed the red button and took hold of the controls.

Her tongue poked out of the corner of her lips as she concentrated to move the claw carefully.

Adrien looked at her with amusement.

Satisfied with the placement of her claw she pressed the button to lower it. Adrien watched it go down, and the way it sank its teeth into a Ladybug and a Chat Noir toy at the same time.

When he saw the metal claw grab both toys, he couldn’t stop himself from getting closer to the machine - to Marinette. He stood right behind her, eyes wide and mouth parted, because what were the odds? Would she actually win at her first try?

The claw gripped the two toys and lifted them.

The blond man released a whoosh of air accompanied by a surprised chuckle.

Marinette really was the embodiment of luck. But before either of them could celebrate, when the claw moved to the side, towards the opening, the sudden jerk caused the grip to slack and the two toys crashed to the pile at the bottom.

“Oh no! I was so close! Did you see that, kitty? So not fair.” Her voice was truly disappointed, and he couldn’t bear to see it.

“I’ll get them for you, then.” He said as he gently pushed her out of the way and inserted a new coin into the slot.

“Both? Really?” When he looked back at her he was met with defiance and a raised eyebrow. Emotions completely different from before, and he couldn’t help but smile fondly. She was a force to be reckoned with, and he was completely at her mercy. “I thought you said those machines are rigged.”

“They are.” He simply said with a shrug as he focused on the buttons in front of him.

“And you, with your black cat luck think you can get the plushies for me?”

Adrien could hear the teasing tone in her voice and could picture her standing behind him with her arms crossed and a hip cocked to the side.

Another shrug as his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth. He pushed the controllers carefully.

“Even black cats are lucky sometimes.” He eventually replied.

She could feel the smile on her lips as he got closer to him, watching the machine over his shoulder. Her presence and her closeness were distracting, but he tried his best to focus on the task at hand. He was going to win those for her.

Once again, the metallic claws took hold of the Ladybug and the Chat noir toys. Marinette released an excited squeal behind him. They saw them rise, to only fall once again onto the pile. The machine played a loser song and turned off.

Adrien groaned in frustration.

“Sorry. I really thought I could get them for you.”

Marinette shrugged and grabbed his arm away from the dreaded machine that had defeated them both, “It’s fine. We’ll get them another time.”

The young man was about to ask where Marinette was leading him when he heard the Mario kart song and spotted the big screens through two machines. She must’ve spotted them at the same time because she rushed her step and bounced excitedly, casting a grin over her shoulder.

They settled themselves on the seats and shared a smile, that was both a wish of good luck and an apology, because they knew how competitive they could get, and they didn’t want to the other to take it personally.

The race started and they lost themselves in the game. They played race after race, Marinette doing a different dance victory every time she won, and Chat swamping her with cat puns to annoy her whenever he was the winner.

When one of them was too much of a sore looser the other wouldn’t rub it in. They would press the next race button and remain in companion silent. That was what had happened at the beginning, but then they had started getting really competitive, often trying to knock the other one out of the seat or touching their controls to get the other off course.

They giggled and laughed like maniacs as a battle was raging both onscreen and offscreen. Adrien had to admit it felt more like they were hanging out as friends like they usually did as Chat Noir and Marinette in her bedroom, than as if they were on a date, and he wasn’t complaining. He had been scared that their kiss on their last fake date would make things weird between them. He was glad it hadn’t. He was happy his stupidity hadn’t ruined everything.

Eventually they realised there were some people waiting for them to free the game, so they left Mario kart behind, still arguing over who had had more wins as they made their way through new games.

Adrien was pretty sure they played every single two-player game in that arcade. Several times.

He wished he could pause time, so they had all the time in the world. The young man was out of breath and his stomach ached from laughing so much, and he was sure Marinette was exactly the same, judging from the tears in the corner of her eyes and her rosy cheeks.

As they walked past a stand, Adrien noticed the way Marinette’s attention landed on a giant Ladybug plushie that was hanging from the top of it. It was only slightly smaller than the young woman standing next to him. He could imagine her hugging the toy and getting practically swallowed by it. He smiled at the image with fondness and amusement.

Next to Ladybug, there was also a Chat Noir one that he eventually noticed. It was placed much lower and almost hidden from view.

He tried not to let things like that ever bother him. His lady played a crucial role, he knew. She was the one with the cure after all and people relied on her and her powers.

Even though it was a reprieve to not have the spotlight for once, like he did as his civilian self, it often still hurt that people would want pictures with Ladybug and not with him. He never told her, and he had vowed he never would. But it still hurt.

Marinette approached the stand and asked what she had to do to win the big plushies.

“You have to knock all the bottles off the shelf to get the big one.” The woman pointed at the toys hanging from the top of the stand.

“Are you up for it? You against me, kitty?” There was mischievousness in her eyes when she turned to face him, and he definitely couldn’t say not to that.

“You’re on.”

He supposed they were fighting for the big Ladybug plushie. He wanted it so bad, but he couldn’t admit it. Marinette might think he was still in love with her, or maybe that he was just a loser who collected figures and merch of the heroes and had a shrine in their house to them.

Marinette handed the money to the woman behind the counter. She had insisted she should pay this time and he let her, because the last thing he wanted to do was argue with her.

They stood side by side, three red balls in each of their hands.

Three chances each.

He eyed his pile of bottles and then eyed hers. They were far enough from each other that their shots shouldn’t hit the other.

He took the first one, and it knocked down two bottles. He whooped in victory to then notice Marinette had knocked down four.

She gave him a side smile and then winked. She had had the nerve to wink at him!

_It was so, so on! He wanted that damn Ladybug plushie._

He threw the next ball harder than he should’ve, because it knocked down another two bottles, but it bounced off and hit the wooden counter, nearly crashing some toys. He winced and apologised to the woman in the stand.

She shook her head saying it happened all the time and he shouldn’t worry.

Marinette snickered beside him and he shot her a hateful glare, that truly had no heat behind it. She focused on her task and he saw her throw the ball.

The shot seemed to fly in slow motion towards its target, and he could tell she had already succeeded before the ball even connected with the bottles.

A loud crash, and all bottles came tumbling down off the shelf.

“You did it!” Adrien shouted at her with a wide grin on his lips.

She released a squeal of happiness and it didn’t matter anymore that he had lost. Because if she was smiling like that in his presence, then he felt like a winner.

“You still have your last ball.” She said pointing to his left hand.

He did, but he was sure he wasn’t going to get the remaining bottles with just one shot. He threw it anyway, managing to knock some more down, leaving only one standing.

Marinette visibly deflated next to him. She had really believed he could do it. If he was transformed, he was sure he would’ve made it, but as a civilian his aim and strength were reduced.

“Well, only one of you gets the big toy. Sorry, kiddos.” The woman said with a smile as she got up on a ladder.

She started taking the Ladybug plushie down, when Marinette stopped her. “No, I want the Chat Noir one.”

The woman stopped, surprise marring her features. “You sure? Most people want Ladybug. She is the leader after all.”

Marinette shrugged her shoulder, “I’m not most people. I want the Chat Noir plushie.”

The woman grabbed the wanted plushie instead and passed it to Marinette’s waiting arms “And Ladybug is not the leader. They’re a team.” There was some bite behind her answer, and he was glad he wasn’t the one to whom she was talking, because he would have flinched at her words, just like the woman had. Part of him wanted to feel bad for her, but he couldn’t. Did that make him a bad person? Perhaps, but he wasn’t particularly worried.

She turned her back to the stand and started walking, clutching the toy to her chest. His gaze followed her as she walked away. His mind was still trying to process what had just happened.

Her reaction made him warm inside. Marinette had defended him, when no one else ever had. She cared about him and what he did for Paris as a hero.

He didn’t mind that he hadn’t managed to get the Ladybug plushie, because the outcome had been better. So much better.

Marinette turned back to him when she realised he was still rooted to the spot. He couldn’t will his feet to move and his mouth to work.

“C’mon kitty-cat, I want to go home.”

He waved to the woman behind the stand in pity and then rushed to his date’s side. Adrien couldn’t even bother correct himself anymore. _She was his date._ He was on cloud nine. Everything was good. Life was good.

Adrien reached her eventually and stuffed his hands in his pockets as they walked through the arcade towards the door.

“So, you picked Chat Noir instead of Ladybug.”

Marinette’s cheeks were rosy when she stared up at him, “He’s my favourite hero, and he does so much for Paris. I wish people gave him more credit. He deserves it.”

“I see.” He was certain the skin on his face matched hers in tone and he wasn’t sure what else he should say. For someone who was great at languages, he certainly seemed to have forgotten all the words in all of them.

“Just don’t tell him, wouldn’t want it all to go to his head. He might get cocky.” The young woman teased him with a side smile before readjusting her grip on the toy and clutching it harder to her.

“We wouldn’t want that. Imagine how much he might tease you because you said he’s the best and your favourite hero. And that you think he’s _purr-fect_ ,” He tsked dramatically before continuing, “He’d never let you live it down, that’s for sure. He might bring it up for the rest of his nine lives and then some more.”

She shoved him lightly, while rolling her eyes. “I said no such a thing. You’re hearing things.”

“Sure.” He laughed loudly, but the rest of his answer was lost once they reached the door, because as he opened it, he realised it was pouring with rain.

“What happened? There were no clouds in the sky before.” She said with a wail.

“I know! I guess we’ll have to run.” He turned to Marinette and motioned for the toy “I’ll take him if you want me to.”

The young woman passed it to him and showed him that it still had the straps that had been used to hang him on the stand. Adrien took hold of them and fit his arms through them, carrying the toy like a backpack. It would have to do.

He grabbed Marinette’s hand and then they both ventured into the rain.

“We can find somewhere for me to transform and then I can take us to your place. It’ll be quicker.” 

They ran fast, but they soon realised that getting wet was unavoidable. Marinette’s hair plastered to her face and her neck, and his hoodie was heavy with water.

“Faster.” She said, laughter spilling from her lips. Her reaction settled some of his worry. He thought she would be upset at getting caught under a torrent of water.

He let her get an advantage. He saw her form practically disappear into the night before she stopped and started looking around her, in search for him.

“Chat?” He could hear her voice calling for him softly.

He let the night conceal him, before he sprinted towards her.

By the time she realised where the sound was coming from, it was too late. He caught her in his arms and spun her around, eliciting a scream from her.

She swatted at his arm. “You scared me!”

“That was my intention.” He replied smugly up at her. “I guess you’re a scaredy cat.”

Marinette rolled her eyes at his pun and he laughed. He knew he had managed to get under her skin when she reacted like that.

She was still in his arms and neither of them had no intentions of moving until she shivered.

“C’mon let’s go, you’re getting cold.” He set her down carefully so they could carry on with their search for a hidden space.

They found an alley, and he transformed. They made it back into the street, and just as he was about to pick up Marinette and vault into the night, they heard voices.

They both froze like a deer caught in headlights.

“Is that Chat Noir?” Someone asked as they pointed.

“I can’t tell. It’s dark and raining.” The other person replied. “But it looks like him. Chat Noir!”, They waved and called out loudly into the night.

Marinette cursed next to him, before quickly pulling him back into the alley, grabbing him by the bell, and cornering herself between him and the wall.

His arms landed on either side of her head.

They were so close. His heart beat faster, echoing in his ears and he could only hope Marinette couldn’t hear it. They hadn’t been this close since their kiss, and that knowledge was enough to short-circuit his brain.

“Quickly, I saw them coming into this alley.” One of the voices ran in the night followed by fast approaching footsteps.

It was Chat’s turn to curse.

“Sorry, but it’s the only thing I can think of.” Her tone was rushed and desperate.

Before he could ask what she meant, Marinette grabbed his face in both of her hands and pulled him towards her, their lips crashing together forcefully.

He was shocked at first. Obviously, because how could he not be? That was the last thing he had been expecting. Not even in his wildest dreams did he think Marinette wild be kissing him again. Well, that was a lie. Of course, he had dreamed of her kissing him again, he just never thought it would actually happen. He wished that perhaps it had happened under better circumstances, but he would take anything. He would take a stolen kiss in a Parisian alley on a rainy night as they tried to escape crazy fans.

It took him a second to react and reciprocate the kiss as his mind caught up to the moment, but no longer than that. His lips brushed against purposeful and hungry.

His second reaction was happiness. Unbridled happiness. Chat could not only focus on her, her warmth, her presence, her sweet perfume, her hands and her lips.

He left one his arms in its resting place on the wall, but the other moved to her hip, pulling them closer together.

The rain kept falling over Paris and over them, drops rolling down his arms, and his face and their connected lips. They were soaked, and he should feel cold, but it was impossible to feel anything but the heat and the sensation of the friction between them when they were kissing, their lips dancing against each other, and their tongues intertwining in a silent promise.

He was hers. He was Marinette’s for as long as he lived.

Chat caught her bottom lip with both of his, just as the two people rounded the corner.

“Oh, it’s just someone with a giant Chat Noir plushie.” He scarcely heard their words in the distance, the sound muffled by the taste and the feel of her and the thrumming of his blood in his ears.

“Oh, I think they’re kissing, let’s leave.”

Deep down Chat sighed in relief, while part of him wished they would stay just so Marinette still had an excuse to keep kissing him.

The two figured disappeared back into the night, leaving Chat and Marinette alone once again.

Marinette kissed him one last time before drawing back, resting her head against the wall behind her.

Her eyes were shut, and her hands fell from his face to his shoulders. She released the deep breath she had been holding.

“That was close.”

“Yeah”, he whispered, out of breath, as he hung his head, trying to recover from the whole ordeal.

His hands remained where they were, one on her hip and the other over her head bracing himself against the wall.

His eyes traced every contour of her face, memorising her features, and admiring the rain drops that fell down, leaving trails on her soft skin.

Just as he was about to remove himself, they heard more voices.

Their breaths caught once again, expression of panic marring both their features.

“I heard someone say they had spotted Chat Noir around here!” They were still relatively far, from what his super-hearing could detect.

But they would soon reach them. It was his turn to react.

Chat kissed her cheek, collecting a drop with his lips. Her breath hitched. He drew away from her, giving her some space, gauging her reaction.

Her eyes bore into his, and he was helpless.

He slowly closed the distance between them again, kissing her temple this time, catching another drop.

“What are you doing?” Her voice sounded breathless.

“Keeping up the pretence. This was your plan after all.”

She moved her arms, her hands settling at the base of his neck, and caressing his wet hair at the nape.

“Yeah, I know.” She whispered with an eyeroll. “I meant what are you _doing?_ ”

“Oh that. I’m kissing away the rain drops.” Chat murmured.

“We’ll be here all night then, considering it’s still raining.” She said with a small chuckle.

He shrugged a shoulder, closing the distance between them once more as he kissed the bridge of her nose, and then the tip of it, clearing another drop.

Her skin was slightly cold against his lips and his tongue, but it was still much warmer than the water droplets.

He withdrew once more from her and watched her as she licked away a bead of water from her lips.

“I was about to get that one.” He teased.

“Too bad. I got it first. What are you going to do about it?” There was a glint in her eye that matched her defiant expression.

Before he could answer with a witty response, the voices got closer.

“He’s there!”

He was the one to kiss her that time, chasing another droplet that fell onto her lips. His tongue catching it just as her lips parted for him.

The new witnesses had the same reaction the previous ones had had, leaving them to their own devices once they realised it was just a couple kissing, with a Chat Noir toy strapped to their back.

He only stopped kissing her once he could no longer hear their steps, and considering he had his super-hearing, the kiss lasted some time.

He wished it would last forever.

Her lips were glossy and bruised when he finally withdrew and looked down at her. He licked his own, still tasting her on his mouth.

Awkwardness settled over them like a thick mantle as they stared into each other’s eyes, Chat still cornering Marinette against the wall.

The expression on her face was enough to break him. Her eyes were glossy, and there was a shadow of sadness over them. Did she regret kissing him that badly?

He stepped away, hopefully giving Marinette the space she needed, and allowing her to put all of it behind her back, if that was what she wished for. He wanted her to be happy.

“It is quite _fur-tunate_ that your favourite hero is me. This plan of ours might’ve not worked as well if I had a Ladybug strapped to my back.” He wiggled his eyebrows and shot her a wide grin as he pointed to said plushie, trying to alleviate the tension, and bring some sense of normalcy to their relationship. _Friendship._

It must’ve worked because she shoved him away, with a smile threatening to split.

“You’re a dork."

“You’ll have no argument from me there.” He admitted nonchalantly as he grabbed her bridal style. She yelped and laced her arms around his neck when he lifted her.

“Let’s take you home.” Chat whispered looking up into the sky.

It was still raining even by the time they had made it to her house, and they were trying to dry themselves.

Marinette had already changed from her wet clothes and was drying her hair with a towel as she tried to convince him to change his clothes too.

“I’m transformed, there’s not point.”

“Well, but when you get home and you have to drop your transformation, you’ll be in your wet clothes and you might catch a cold.” She insisted.

He sighed and watched her grab something from the bottom of her wardrobe. 

“Here. Put these on.” Marinette handed him a bundle of clothes, “They were from that project I was working on a while ago; I think they’ll fit you.”

Chat remembered those. He had helped her model them as Adrien and get the measurements right. She had been stressed about that university project and Nino and Alya had suggested he helped. At the time he had had some free time, so he had agreed to it. They had spent a whole afternoon on them, and she had kept pricking herself. He had felt so bad for her. She had been so stressed about the deadline and the quality of her work. Later that same day he visited her as Chat Noir with some milkshakes and junk food to cheer her up.

The hero had managed to make her smile and laugh again and that had made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, pride surging through him. Looking back at that memory now, it was quite obvious he had been smitten with her even then. How had he been so blind?

He took the clothes from her and nodded, making his way to her bathroom so he could change.

The young man de-transformed, discarding his wet clothes and putting on the dry ones. They fit him perfectly, just like he knew they would. They had been done using his measurements after all.

Plagg remained silent as he munched on some camembert. Adrien looked at himself in the mirror, combing his hair as best as he could with his fingers, trying to tame it.

Once his kwami was ready he called for his transformation once again so he could go home. It was late after all. He picked up the wet clothes from the floor and made his way back to Marinette.

She was sitting on the chaise, in her dressing gown and wrapped in a blanket, remote in hand. There was also a bowl full of popcorn next to her on the floor.

Her eyes snapped from the TV up to him when she heard him come in. Something in her expression changed.

“Oh, you’re already transformed. I thought you wanted to watch a film or something.” She said as she pointed to the set up around her.

Her cheeks were red, and he lost himself at the sight, thinking she looked absolutely adorable.

Before he could answer, she had already shot up from her sit and was grabbing his wet clothes from him.

“Never mind. You probably have plans.” She turned her back to him and made her way to the living room’s balcony, “I’m just putting these to dry so you don’t have to carry them all the way home. You can get them the next time you come over. If that’s okay with you.”

Her voice was muffled by the distance. He was still frozen in place. He just thought it would be better for him to leave, to avoid any more awkwardness for the night. But if she wanted to spend an evening watching films with him, he would take it.

Always.

A smile made his way onto his lips and he rushed to the chaise, grabbing the blanket and placing it over himself. He was reaching for the popcorn, remote already in hand as he selected what they were going to watch when he noticed the giant Chat Noir plushie perched next to the heater so it would dry. The sight of it brought a smile to his face.

Marinette had picked him. She had picked Chat Noir.

The young woman returned then and she smiled at the sight of him, with the popcorn halfway to his mouth.

He shrugged his shoulder and stuffed the snack in his mouth like a hamster.

She ran across the bedroom and threw herself on top of him, knocking the air out of his lungs. He managed to just about catch her in his arms, preventing her from going over the chaise. She only giggled.

When he managed to draw in a breath, he laughed with her.

Chat pulled the blanket from under her, with a little help on her part and then threw it over the two of them.

She settled herself on top of him, laying on her back on top of him, her head slotted between his shoulder and neck.

His heart thumped in his chest. He smiled and pulled her closer to him, his arms around her body. She smiled up at him, and his lost all ability to think. He could only smile back weakly as he lost himself in her eyes.

Marinette turned once again, grabbing the bowl of popcorn from the floor and placing it on her stomach, within his reach.

He took a handful and stuffed in his mouth just to stop him from saying something stupid. Something very stupid.

“You look like a hamster.” She said in-between snorts.

“A very cute hamster.” He said through a mouthful, causing a few bits of popcorn to fly out and land on her.

“You’re gross! A mangy alley-cat with no manners.” Marinette exclaimed as she wiped the bits of popcorn off of her. But she laughed as she said it and so he knew he wasn’t in any real trouble.

Chat grabbed a kernel and threw it at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he smiled innocently.

They eventually settled and he pressed play. She relaxed against him and he revelled in the feeling of her against him.

She re-adjusted the towel that was still on her head and then burrowed into him once more, and that gesture was so mundane that for a moment, he could almost pretend that this was their life. That they were together. That they lived in the same house and were spending some time together after a busy day.

Chat wished in that moment that that was the truth. That she was his girlfriend and he could come home to her and snuggle as they watched TV.

The fantasy had him pull her closer to him.

They were halfway through the episode when a drop of rain fell from his hair to his neck. He could feel the slow path it was trailing, and it was making him ticklish.

He was about to catch it with his hand when felt Marinette’s lips on his neck. He jumped at the sensation. He was startled by the tingling sensation that spread through his body, that left goosebumps in its wake.

“Wha-? Wh- ” It was the only sounds he had managed to produce.

“Oh, so you can dish, but you can’t take? You had a drop of water on your neck. I kissed it away. The droplets are falling from your hair, and they’re making my t-shirt wet. They’re annoying me.” She shrugged a shoulder casually and then she returned her attention back to the screen as if nothing had happened.

His heart was thumping loudly in his chest, his blood pulsing through his body at an alarming speed, his skin felt flushed and he was sure he was sporting a blush on his cheeks and neck.

He was no longer paying attention to whatever was playing on the TV. He stared blankly at the countdown on the screen, signalling the beginning of a new episode.

Her perfume was assaulting his nostrils, and her warmth was comforting and felt like home, and her skin was soft and perfect, and he wished he could kiss every inch of it. Chat supposed he could start with her neck.

 _Payback_ , he thought.

Chat Noir hero placed a gentle kiss just over collarbone, where her neck and shoulder met. He could feel the goosebumps he had caused on her skin as he withdrew.

“Chat?” Her tone was pleading.

“Yes?” His voice was rough. He kissed her again gently slightly further up.

Chat stopped then, letting her think. Letting her decide what she wanted him to do.

“Do I still have rain drops on me?” She asked breathlessly. At least he knew he wasn’t the only one feeling affected by their proximity, and by whatever had changed in the air between them.

“Yes. Lots and lots of them.” He murmured against her ear like a secret.

It was a lie of course. 

“I see.”

A pause. An intake of breath.

“Better get them, then.” She whispered so low he might’ve missed it were it not for his superhero abilities.

He hummed in pleasure, a thrumming going through his body.

His lips found her skin once more. It was warm against his lips, and it tasted both sweet and salty.

From his chest, a purr emerged, echoing through the bedroom. He was content.

She sighed at the sound and he smiled.

He left a trail of sloppy kisses from her collarbone to her jawline. She inhaled deeply at each touch.

The episode kept playing. It was background noise; it was all it was. He was not even sure what they were watching anymore. All thoughts vanished, except the thought of her. Except the taste of her skin.

He gently bit down on a particularly soft patch of skin, and then soothed it with his tongue when she said his name.

“Are you marking me?”

_Yes._

His brain screamed.

_I want you to be mine._

He knew it was the territorial side of his miraculous screaming, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her to be his. Only his.

“It would be something to show Alya.” Marinette suggested.

“Are you sure?” He whispered against her skin, causing goosebumps to run down from her neck to her arms.

She nodded.

So he kissed her again. His mouth and his teeth met her plush skin over and over again. The sounds he was eliciting from her were a balm to his soul. His purr rang louder.

In-between another round of kisses, Marinette turned around, causing him to pause his ministrations, and the blanket to fall on the floor.

Her eyes bore into his. There was conflict in her face. He was not sure how else to interpret the expression painted on her features.

He looked at her. He had only then noticed that the towel had fallen from her hair at some point, leaving it cascading down her back, still damp in places. She was still beautiful. She would always be beautiful.

On the side of her neck, he could see the love marks he’d left, and his inner cat growled in pride.

They stared at each other for a while. Frozen in time, letting the moment envelop them.

Just as he was about to ask if everything was alright, she finally moved, placing one leg on each side of him, straddling his lap.

His breath caught in his throat as he stared up at her.

He felt her hands moved from his chest to his neck. He moved his in tandem with hers, resting them on her hips. Once they were in place, he used the advantage to pull her closer to him. She let him. His claws gripped the fabric of her pyjamas forcefully. Marinette didn’t seem to mind.

They stared at each other, suspended in time, as they waited for the shoe to drop.

Marinette closed some of the distance between them, her lips stopping mere inches from his mouth. They both held their breaths. He didn’t move. He waited patiently. He would always wait for her.

She traced the outline of his lips with her finger and he shuddered under her touch. His eyes fluttered closed.

When he thought he would certainly go insane from waiting, she kissed him suddenly. She kissed him and everything fell away. She kissed him and everything was right in the world.

⚬◉⚬

Both Adrien and Nino nursed their drinks as they waited for Alya and Marinette to arrive. The blond man was not even sure how he would be able to share the same room as Marinette and behave like a normal human being. Not after everything that had happened the night before.

He slurped on the straw after placing it over a particularly stubborn bubble. It took a couple of slurps and tries, but it finally made it to his mouth. He popped the bubble with his tongue.

The bell above the front door dinged, signalling someone had just arrived. His heart sped up and he practically jumped out of the chair to realise it was just Alya.

She waved at them and then sat in front of Nino, where her bubble tea already awaited her.

“You looked disappointed to see me, Sunshine. Expecting someone else?” Alya teased him as she placed her coat over the chair.

“No. Just checking if it were you and Marinette that had arrived.” He pointedly avoided her eyes and focused on the lid of his drink. A very, very ordinary lid that to him became the most interesting thing in the world. Anything would do. Anything to avoid Alya’s inquiring gaze.

“I’m assuming Marinette is running late.” The brunette stated at no one in particular after directing a suspicious hum at Adrien.

“Yep.” Nino was the one to reply. Adrien was too busy looking outside. Looking for her. “As usual.”

“This time she has a reason, alright.” Alya snickered and shared a conspiratorial look with her boyfriend.

“Oh?” It was a question. Alya had peaked Nino’s curiosity.

“She had a date yesterday with her online beau.” Alya slurped her drink through a mischievous smile while looking at Adrien.

His palms started sweating. Why was Alya staring at him? Did she know? She couldn’t know. Not even Marinette knew who he was. Yet, that thought did nothing to calm his heart.

“It seemed they stayed up pretty late last night. But she didn’t tell me much.”

“Little ‘Nette finally getting the happiness she deserves. About time.” Nino commented.

Adrien remained silent, savouring his drink and looking at the seat across from him, where Marinette’s drink also sat.

He had remembered her favourite flavour, from that one time that her and Chat had ordered it together.

He really was an idiot. An idiot in love.

The bell rang again and this time it was Marinette. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a long winter coat, with a scarf and a turtleneck that were paired with a mini-skirt and some high-knee boots all in earthy tones.

He couldn’t stop the helpless smile that made its way to his lips as she approached the table.

“Do you need a napkin, dude?” Nino asked.

“What?” His brain was having trouble catching up.

“You’re staring and drooling.”

Alya snickered at his best friend’s comment and he thought he could die of embarrassment on the spot.

All this pining was ridiculous and pointless.

He knew Marinette didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Sure, what had happened between them the day before didn’t really have an explanation, but as she said goodbye to him, her expression was closed off, just like it had been the first time they had kissed. She also seemed to have been on the verge of tears.

_She regretted it._

There was no other explanation. He could’ve kicked himself because he knew it was his fault. How could it not be? He had let his feelings get the best out of him and he had kissed her. Asked to kiss her. He had marked her. Oh gods he had marked her and she didn’t even like him back. He had to fix it. He needed to fix it all.

Adrien felt a headache coming, as a wave of nausea abated over him.

Marinette sat across from him and flashed him a smile. He wanted to smile back but he couldn’t. He focused instead on his drink, trying so hard not to drown in the feelings churning and crashing inside of him.

Lost inside his own head, he missed the conversation the other three were having around him.

“Who took this photo of you?” Alya’s loud shriek brought him back to the present.

“Which one?”

Adrien shot an enquiring look to Nino, who quietly explained Alya was helping Marinette pick a new profile picture.

“Which one, girl? This one! And the ten others after this one!” 

Marinette blushed to the tips of her ears.

She stuttered before she could reply, “My-my date. He took all of those.”

Alya looked once again at the phone, zooming in on whatever picture she was looking at, “Is he a photographer or something?”

“What? No. I don’t think so.” Marinette was visibly confused.

Adrien slurped his drink and popped another bubble with his tongue.

“You don’t think so? You’ve been on four dates with this guy and you don’t know?” Alya arched an eyebrow as she stared at her best friend.

Another slurp. Another popped bubble. 

At Marinette’s lack of reaction Alya just scoffed, her attention back on the device.

Adrien slurped again. Another bubble in his mouth.

“Either he’s a photographer or he’s in love with you.” Alya commented. "These look amazing!"

He inhaled too hard and the bubble travelled to the back of his throat at an alarming speed, lodging itself there. He chocked, and he coughed, and his drink came shooting out of his nose.

Nino was the first one to react, and he patted his back as he offered him a napkin.

Marinette was looking at him with worry. He managed to offer her a weak reassuring smile.

Alya’s gaze jumped between Marinette and Adrien with a raised eyebrow. That look did not bode well. They were in trouble of some sort. Adrien just wasn’t sure what kind of trouble yet.

“I’m fine.” He rasped out, looking at each of his friends in turn.

“You okay there, Sunshine?” Alya asked, her attention momentarily drawn from Marinette’s phone.

“Yeah, bubble went in the wrong hole.”

Alya hummed knowingly, before looking at Marinette once more.

The raven-haired girl’s eyes practically bulged out of her heard when she realised the attention was once again on her.

“Are you actually asking me if he’s in love with me? Of course not! We’ve only been on four dates.” Adrien didn’t miss the way Marinette avoided Alya’s eyes, grabbing her drink as an excuse.

Marinette tucked her hair behind her ear, and Adrien could immediately say that had been a bad idea, because if he could see the marks he had left on her the night before and he was standing in front of her, then Alya, who was sitting right next to Marinette, could most definitely see them.

I mean it had been their plan that Alya should see those, but maybe not at that exact moment. Not when they were talking about love.

“Are those what I think they are?” The brunette screeched as she pointed at her friend’s neck.

He saw the slow path Marinette’s hand did towards the marks, covering them.

“Yes.” She blushed as she confessed.

“He’s a good kissed then?” Alya propped her chin on her hand as she eyed the woman in front of him with a wide grin.

“Yeah. An excellent one.”

Those words made his heart somersault in his chest.

“Excellent? Damn, picky Marinette Dupain-Cheng is giving someone a 10/10. That is a feat. You definitely like him.”

“I mean I have been on four dates with him, haven’t I? So, yes I like him.” Her cheeks were red, and even though that was enough to make his foolish heart suddenly believe there was more to it, Adrien’s rational side knew Marinette was putting on a show for her friend. This was their plan. This had been their plan all along. He should be happy that it had worked, and yet as he watched it unfold – as he watched its fruits – his heart only seemed to constrict in his chest.

“I want to meet this mystery man, now.”

“I thought the whole point of having a fling was for me to move on and let that be the end of it. I’m pretty sure introducing him to my friends beats the purpose.” Marinette pointed out quite harshly.

“Yeah, I know.” Alya deflated next to her best friend. “I was just curious, and I wanted to see what he looks like. I mean from what you’ve described he’s the most handsome mad you’ve laid eyes on.”

“He might very well be.” Marinette confessed quietly.

Adrien felt a blush creeping up to his face.

Alya frowned, “If I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you’re in love with him.”

“What?! No!” Her voice was loud. “Frankly, this is why sometimes I don’t want to tell you anything. You always see a love story. Even when there isn’t one. I just met the guy and he’s just a fling and I’m happy with that. End of story.”

Adrien was pretty sure his heart broke at that exact moment.

The journalist raised her hands in defeat, “I’m sorry. You’re right. As long as you’re happy that’s all that matters. We’ll drop the subject.”

The conversation changed to something lighter, easier, and Adrien couldn’t be more satisfied.

Unfortunately, all good things eventually came to an end.

“What about you, dude? Have you been seeing someone?”

“Me? No.” He scoffed, playing with the napkin on the table.

“Why not?” His friend probed on. 

Adrien shrugged, “It’s complicated.” He wasn’t lying.

Everyone was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. He sighed. There was no way he could avoid it.

“There’s this one girl…” He started, “She’s amazing. I-I’m in love with her.”

He hadn’t managed to stop the dreamy sigh that escaped his lips as he thought of Marinette. As he looked at her across from him. Was he being too obvious? Perhaps.

“Dude, that’s great! Why are you sad?”

He looked around to three people who all had their eyes on him.

“She doesn’t like me back.”

“Oof”, was Nino’s only answer.

“Have you asked her?” Alya questioned him.

He paused, his eyebrows furrowed.

“No. I haven’t.” He replied.

“Have you told her how you feel?” 

“No.” 

“Have you asked her how she feels?”

“No.” He murmured again looking at the brunette. 

“Then you can’t say she doesn’t love you back. It’s like you’ve already made the decision for her, and you’ve already given up without even trying.” She gestured her hands around in exasperation. “I swear, sometimes I think you’re all dense.”

Adrien’s eyes widened at the realisation, “You’re right!”

“Of course, I’m right, pretty boy. The question now is, what exactly are you going to do?”

He smiled confidently, “I’m going to tell her.”

All he needed was a plan. The perfect plan to finally confess to Marinette that he was utterly and completely in love with her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think at this point the hints I've been leaving on every chapter are quite obvious. More specifically, the pattern of their interactions. Have you noticed it?
> 
> What are your theories and thoughts on this chapter?
> 
> Tell me all about it the comments, [twitter](https://twitter.com/babsskywalker) or [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/alderaanian_p)


	6. Chapter VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It’s better if you go.” It was all Marinette could say without breaking down in front of him._
> 
> _“Princess…”_
> 
> _“Don’t call me that.” Her voice sounded broken and hoarse. “Please.” The last word was barely even a whisper, as her throat constricted. ___
> 
> __
> 
> __It's their last fake date. Will it go the way the expected it to or will it all come tumbling down around them?_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING:
> 
> THIS IS THE CHAPTER WHERE THE FIC GETS ITS MATURE RATING, SO DON'T GO ANY FURTHER IF THIS ISN'T FOR YOU. ALSO READ THE TAGS.
> 
> Henlo lovelies,  
> I bring you chapter VI of the butterfly effect. I really, really hope you love it! find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire) or [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/darthnoire)
> 
> As for the little hidden message I've added in all the chapters:
> 
> Basically, in every single chapter the affection and the new relationship milestones they share always happen after their date is over. They never do something for the first time during their dates, they always wait until after it's over. They do it uncounsciously, obviously, which means they loved each other, and they were obviosuly using the dates as an excuse to express their feelings (if that wasn't obvious enough already)
> 
> ANYWAY, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, ENJOY!

⚬◉⚬Fake Date Number 5⚬◉⚬

“You’ll be fine, kiddo. Trust me.” Plagg reassured Adrien for the millionth time. He was sure the Kwami was tired of picking up his broken pieces but alas, that was the small price he had to pay for all the expensive cheese Adrien bought him.

“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who’s about to confess to one of your best friends that you’ve fallen in love with her, possibly putting at risk years of friendship,” Adrien retorted.

Plagg groaned.

The young man exhaled through his mouth as he straightened his shirt and eyed himself in the mirror.

“Remind me again why I’m doing this?” Adrien whirled around to face Plagg as a sudden and particularly bad wave of nervousness assaulted him.

“Because you love her and she loves you back, and you both have to stop lying to yourselves.” The Kwami of destruction stated matter of factly.

Adrien walked over to his desk to grab the tickets for the botanic garden. “That’s just the thing, though. We don’t know if she loves me. If we did for sure, I wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.”

He pocketed the tickets away, just to take them back out and double check the date on them. Satisfied with what he saw, he placed them in his shirt once more, patting the pocket down twice.

“You’ve got a plan! You can do this,” Plagg comforted Adrien, “Remember what Alya told you, you can’t give up without trying first. And if it doesn’t go the way you want it to, remember that you’ll always have camembert and it will _never_ disappoint you.”

The Kwami grabbed a piece of the said smelly snack and gave it a good whiff, his eyes rolling back into his head and his mouth spreading into a wide grin that showed off his little fangs.

Adrien grimaced.

 _Yeah, he was good._ He’d rather be alone than having stinky cheese as his company.

The young man eyed the mirror once more. He could do this. He had a plan! He would take her on the date as planned. They would go to the botanical garden, on a romantic late night stroll. He would hold her hand, and make her laugh, and maybe even kiss her under the stars. That was the easy part. It was what came next that scared the living daylights out of him.

Chat would then take her home and that would be the end of the date. No sex. He wouldn’t have sex with her until she knew about his feelings for her. So, his plan was to confess to her at the very end of the night - at the end of the date - in her bedroom. There would be no secrets between them after that. Well, there was the matter of his identity, but they would cross that bridge when they got there. _If_ they ever got there.

If she still wanted to have sex after his confession, even if she didn’t reciprocate his feelings that would be fine. He would bury his love for her, and love her with his body instead for as long as he let her, and that would be the end of it. He wouldn’t push her, they would remain friends - hopefully - and that would be the end of it. He’d rather end up with a broken heart than break hers.

Little did he know, his plan would fall through.

⚬◉⚬

Marinette was nervous. No, that wasn’t quite accurate. Marinette was downright panicking. She had tried on a million outfits, which were splayed all over her bedroom floor in a messy pile. She wanted to scream and cry and then scream some more.

“It’ll be alright, Marinette.” Tikki tried to console her charge.

“No, it won’t. Because I am helplessly in love with him, and he doesn’t love me back, and this is all a mess.”

“Why don’t you tell him how you feel?” Her Kwami encouraged her.

“Because I’d be putting my own interests in front of his. He suggested this whole fake date thing to help me, and what did I do? I fell in love with him like the utter idiot that I am.

“This isn’t some fairytale or some cheesy romantic film where he’ll have also fallen in love with me, and we have been secretly stupidly pinning for each other while suffering silently.

“This is real life, and in real life, there aren’t always happy endings. And I will be happy just to get through the end of this.”

Tikki sighed, “I don’t get you sometimes, Marinette. How do you know he doesn’t love you? Besides, you couldn’t have fallen in love with him over the course of two months and five dates. You have to admit that you already liked him before this whole thing started.”

Marinette grabbed a dress from the pile, one she had already tried but was willing to give another go. “And what if I was already in love with him before and I just couldn’t admit it? What difference does it make? The end result is still the same. I have once again fallen for the blonde guy, with the gorgeous green eyes and the heart of gold.”

The young woman turned around, her eyes landing on the Chat Noir plushie that took most of her bed. It brought her a torrent of memories. Memories from their last date.

It had been the most fun she had had in awhile. It hadn’t even felt like a date at all. She had been nervous at first, especially because she wasn’t quite sure where they both stood after their kiss, but those insecurities and worries dissipated like smoke in Chat’s presence. He made her feel at ease. He made all the worries in the world disappear with just his smile. And his eyes… She could get lost in those forever. She loved him so much it ached.

“If this is painful and hard on you, just cancel it. You can both watch a film or something.” Her Kwami advised as if she could read Marinette’s thoughts.

The young woman sighed as she zipped up the dress in front of the mirror. “We’ve been through this, Tikki. I can’t cancel it all without giving him a reason.”

“And have you thought about how you’re going to approach the subject of sex? Are you really considering going forward with it?” Tikki didn’t try to soften the blow. Marinette was sure it was part of her strategy to make her re-think the whole thing. Well, she had to admit it was slightly working.

Just thinking of it made her shake. They had never really discussed what they expected to happen at the end of date number five, but she supposed sex was on the table. That had been the whole point of the fling to begin with. But then again, Chat Noir was only fake dating her, he wasn’t her real fling, so… So, she was not sure where they stood regarding sex.

Would have sex make matters a hundred times more complicated? Absolutely! Should she say no if he suggested it? Definitely! Would she in fact say no if he suggested it? Most likely not. Because deep down she knew she wanted it, she wanted it with a burning passion. _No pun intended_. Yet, she knew she shouldn’t. Especially because Chat didn’t have the same feelings for her as she did for him. But she would bury those deep down, and love him with her body instead for as long as he let her, and that would be the end of it.

The young woman looked down at herself, appraising the dress. She remembered why she had discarded it. It bunched up around her waist in an unflattering way, because of the way it had been stitched and she hated it. She released an exasperated sigh as she unzipped the dress once more and wiggled out of it, throwing it over the _definitely a NO_ pile.

There was also the possibility he wouldn’t suggest having sex at all. She wouldn’t bring it up; He wouldn’t bring it up, and they would part on amicable terms, putting the whole mess behind them.

Marinette would lie to Alya, which was fine, even if it left a stain on her consciousness. She would tell her friend that she had had her fling and left him the next morning before he woke up and that would be it. Alya would eventually drop the subject, just happy that Marinette had gotten over her feelings for Adrien.

Her feelings for Chat Noir would die a secret. There was no way she could ever explain to her best friend she had fallen in love with the cat hero, while he played fake date with her. Yeah, it sounded as ridiculous as she thought.

As for Chat Noir… The two of them would hopefully remain friends, and that was it. End of story.

“We haven’t really discussed it.” Marinette finally said as an answer to her Kwami’s question.

“Humans…” The Kwami of creation muttered those words and something else about bats and being blind, and then floated away, leaving her charge to her own devices.

Marinette groaned before looking at the time on her phone and cursed. She was late. Very late.

She started putting away all the clothes she had taken out of her wardrobe, trying to tidy her bedroom as best as she could, while attempting to get ready. She would analyse each outfit before putting it back. She was close to losing all hope when she spotted a knee-length pink satin dress she had only worn once before.

She slid it on, arranged the thin straps over her shoulders, and then reached for the zip only to realise it was stuck.

Great. Just her luck.

She twisted around in front of the mirror, trying to see where it was stuck and how she could fix it. But the more she tried to reach for it, the harder it became, her arm growing tired of the effort, and the zip still immovable. She could ask Tikki, but the Kwami seemed to be at her wits’ end with Marinette and in no mood to help. Besides, the young woman had some pride. She could do it by herself.

She attempted it one more time, before grumbling in despair. She would do her makeup and hair instead, leaving the zip for last, too stressed about time to spend the next ten minutes or more fumbling with the zip when she could be getting ready.

She sat in front of her vanity mirror and started going through her makeup stash, deciding what colour and look to go with. Something soft, probably, to match the dress.

After deciding what colours to use on her eyes, she moved to her lips, looking for the right shade of lipstick or gloss. She picked a soft pink one only to realise it was the same one she had worn on their last date, when she had kissed him under the rain.

At the time she had been panicking and kissing him was the first thing that had come to her mind to escape the avid fans. It had worked. They had successfully avoided people finding out Chat Noir and her were out on a date. But at what cost? She had apologised to him, and even though it hadn’t been a real kiss - much like all the ones they had shared - she would be lying if she said she regretted it, or any of them for that matter.

Her heart squeezed in her chest at the feeling, because he wasn’t hers. He was in love with someone else. She couldn’t forget the way he had spoken about the person he was in love with on her balcony. His eyes had told her everything she needed to know. His heart belonged wholly to that mystery someone.

Jealousy tried once again to sink its claws into her, but she fought it with all her might. She had no right to feel that way.

Marinette tried to ignore the dark emotions inside of her by focusing once more on the task at hand. She grabbed a brush and a palette to start on her eyes.

As she approached the mirror, and angled her head to apply the makeup, she spotted the marks he had left on her neck. Marks that claimed her as his. Even if they were lies. Every single one of them. Or maybe they were half-truths, because they certainly marked she belonged to him. And only him.

They were less prominent, and she didn’t need to cover them with makeup anymore. She didn’t want to anyway. Part of her wanted the world to see that he had branded her. He had branded her skin, just as he had branded her heart.

She traced them with the tips of her fingers.

When she had asked him if he was going to mark her, he had given her the choice. As always. Ever the gentleman. Her brain had already been screaming _yes, yes a thousand times yes,_ before he even finished the sentence. But she had known she couldn’t just say those words. She had to give him a reason for him to do it. She couldn’t let him know that the love bites would mean something to her. So, she had used the excuse she had been using ever since they had agreed to this absurd plan - she used Alya.

She didn’t even care Alya had seen them in front of Nino and Adrien. She didn’t care Adrien had seen them. That should be statement enough that her feelings for Chat Noir had taken over the ones for Adrien.

She finished doing her makeup, and stood up, and just as she was about to swallow her pride and ask Tikki for help, a sudden sound behind her startled her. She yelped and turned around quickly, ready to fight whatever or whoever it was. When her eyes met black leather and a mop of blonde hair, she relaxed.

“You scared me!” She shouted at the cat-hero, who was still trying to squeeze through the window.

“Sorry, it wasn’t my intention.”

Marinette looked around, making sure her Kwami was out of sight, and in the process, she turned her back to Chat. She realised her mistake when she heard him clear his throat behind her.

Her cheeks flushed red.

Her dress was still unzipped.

She turned to face him reluctantly. His face was the same colour as hers. A small consolation. At least she wasn’t the only one feeling embarrassed.

“May I?” He gestured to her with one of his clawed hands, while the other one remained tucked behind his back.

“P-Please. It got stuck.”

“Turn around.” He requested softly.

The young woman did as she was told, while holding her breath. She could hear rustling behind her. Next to her bed. She frowned and as she was about to turn to him once again he spoke.

“Keep your back turned. Curiosity killed the cat,” he tutted with amusement.

“I think you’re forgetting who’s the cat out of the two of us,” she retorted.

His laugh was melodic - a balm to her soul. She revelled in the sound and the comfort it brought her.

Despite her curiosity, she did as she was told, her blood thumping in her ears as she waited for him to approach her.

He seemed to stalk her like a hunter stalks its prey - purposefully and carefully. Her heart beat harder as she heard his soft footsteps behind her, getting closer and closer to her.

Marinette could feel his presence behind her, and her body thrummed with anticipation. She missed and craved his touch.

Chat was so close. She didn’t dare turn her head and look into his eyes. She might blurt out a love confession if she did. So she closed them instead, fighting the urge to tell him how she felt with all her might. For him. For their friendship.

His breath ghosted over her skin, and over the marks he had left on neck, causing goosebumps to run down her spine. She held her breath.

His gloved-hand found the love marks on her neck, probably noticing they were fading. She wondered if that fact made him feel as sad as it did her. He caressed them gently and she gasped at his touch, her eyes opening once again.

“Grab your hair.” He whispered in her ear.

The claw of his thumb rasped gently against the skin on her back, as his hand rested over the marks. Was he even aware of the effect he had on her? Either he was completely oblivious or he was taking pleasure in testing her limits.

Marinette did as she was told, using both hands to move her hair out of his way. It was then he moved both of his to where the zip rested at the end of her back.

He grabbed the pink soft fabric with one hand and tugged at the zip with the other. She could feel the zip unstuck and then running smoothly up her back.

His hand skimmed her spine as he grabbed the material to make sure it wouldn’t get stuck again, and it wouldn’t pinch her skin.

“There, all done,” Chat murmured as the zip slotted into place.

She let her hair fall before replying, “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Princess.” His voice was as soft and as smooth as the silk of her dress.

His lips found her neck like they on their last date. She should perhaps be wondering why he would kiss her, but the feel of his lips on her was intoxicating and it dissipated every other thought. She would never get tired of the way his lips felt on her. The way he had kissed the rain drops slowly from her skin - the one on her temple, then the one on her nose, and then the one that fell on her lips. She loved the way they left her feverish, but not so much she could no longer feel how warm they were.

Marinette turned to face him, thinking he would drop his hands and remove his touch from her, but he didn’t. He cradled her cheek instead and gazed into her eyes. The way he looked at her made it very hard to convince herself that he didn’t love her back. It made it hard for her not to convince herself that he was in love with her, instead of that mystery someone. If he kept looking at her like that, both her and her resolve might break.

“You look absolutely stunning, as always,” He purred with a gentle smile on his lips.

Her cheeks heated up and her heart somersaulted in her chest.

“And you’re an incorrigible flirt, as always.”, She rebutted with an awkward chuckle as she removed herself from his embrace.

His touch had once again become too much for her to bear.

“You do know I don’t go around flirting with just anyone, right?”

Marinette couldn’t look at him. Not after the way he kissed her skin and the way he said those words, so she grabbed her purse, stuffing her belongings into it. Pretending to be too busy. Anything to avoid his feline green eyes.

“You flirt with Ladybug.” She pointed out.

“I haven’t flirted with her in years. Our relationship is not like that anymore.”

Marinette hummed at a loss of what else to say, because of course she had known that. Of course she noticed when he stopped flirting with her all those years ago when he had announced he had a girlfriend. And ever since then he had not flirted with her once.

Oppressing silence abated over them.

“So what were you hiding in my bed?” Marinette asked, trying to break the silence.

He shook his head with amusement, his golden locks bouncing with the movement “Something for later, little lady.”

The young woman wasn’t satisfied with his response. So as she pretended to be looking for her house keys, she sneakily got closer and closer to her bed to have a peak.

She jumped, ready to grab whatever it was he had stuffed behind the plushie. But strong arms grabbed her mid-air and hauled her like a potato stack over a leather-clad shoulder. Her eyes met the hard planes of his back as he carried her through the bedroom, towards the door and away from the bed.

“You are a nightmare, you know that?” Chat Noir grumbled, his voice vibrating through his back and hence through her as well. “It’s a surprise for later. You’ll have to wait.”

“But I want to see it now! Is it a friendship bracelet that says I’m your best-est friend in the whole wide world? Is it your diary? Is it a confession book of all the misdeeds you’ve done as a hero?”

“No. Nope. No. And what? I have done no misdeeds as a hero, thank you very much.” He sounded offended and Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at his whiny tone.

“What about your civilian-self?”

“Nah, I’m too much of a goody-two shoes.”

“I hardly believe that!” Marinette teased him, which prompted him to jump, causing her to jump with him, and losing her balance. She yelped and grabbed onto him, scared she might fall from her perch on his shoulder.

Deep down she knew he would never let her fall. Ever. She was safe in his arms. They were probably the safest place in the whole wide world.

“You’re just proving my point you alley-cat!” There was no real bite behind her words.

“Oh I’m a terrible villain who’s about to kidnap the princess and take her to a terrifying botanic garden. I’m the most horrendous type of villain.”

“So that’s where we’re going!”

Chat Noir muttered a curse under his breath. He had a foul mouth. She giggled.

He had said he wanted to keep it a secret. She was the one to initially suggest they should go to an open-night cinema, but he said he had something else in mind. Something he wanted to surprise her with. He had simply told her he needed her to dress smart-casual.

He dropped his transformation as they passed the threshold of the bedroom into the living room. She felt the ripple of magic under her as his transformation dropped. The green light brought Plagg tumbling out with a groan and Marinette caught him in her hands.

Chat looked around worried, looking for him.

“I’ve got him, don’t worry!” Marinette said as she laid a soft kiss on Plagg’s forehead, earning a scowl from the little creature that was more for show than anything else. She knew he loved the attention, especially if his purr was anything to judge from.

“Hey, Plagg.”

“Hi, Mari. I see you’ve fallen victim to my charge’s clutches,” Plagg commented clearly motioning towards the way she was being carried around her flat.

Marinette laughed, “It seems like it.”

“Hey, I’m right here! I don’t have clutches and no one here has fallen victim to them.”

“Clearly,” Plagg retorted with a smirk.

The young woman giggled before opening the purse for the Kwami to get it, and saw Tikki fly after him in a blur of red from her resting spot in the nightstand. She smiled as the two Kwamis settled inside her purse, Plagg already munching on some cheese crackers she had especially picked for him.

Marinette heard Chat open the door and step outside. She stopped him, grabbing onto the wooden frame of her door.

“I don’t have shoes on!” She screamed as she lifted her feet as proof. He flinched away, as she almost hit him in the face. She wanted to say it was karma, but remained silent.

“Very well, you have been granted permission to put some shoes on.” He hummed and started lowering her to the floor. He paused, before her feet could touch the ground, “But you have to promise you won’t run to your bedroom to check the surprise.”

“I promise.”

“Promise. Promise.”

“I swear on my soul.”

“Very well. If you’re lying your soul shall belong to me for all eternity.” He said dramatically and in a deep voice as if he were some kind of mystical mage.

 _You’ve already taken both my soul and my heart._ That’s what Marinette wanted to say, instead she remained silent and waited for him to set her down.

As soon as her feet met the ground she eyed her shoe-stand by the door trying to decide what to wear. She opted for some comfortable but nice flats that matched the dress and then turned to face Chat Noir.

“Ready for our fifth and very last fake date?” He asked her.

Marinette nodded with a smile to hide how much that statement actually hurt. She grabbed her coat and put it on. It was fluffy and Chat couldn’t help but run his hands through it. She rolled her eyes at him, but a smile threatened to break through.

The young woman tried to lace her arm through his when he finally stopped stroking her coat, but he picked her up again and threw her over his shoulder for the second time that night.

“Hey! Put me down.”

“I don’t think so.” He said as he closed the door behind him and made his way outside.

“You can’t carry me all the way to the botanical gardens like this.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Most definitely not!” Marinette screeched.

“Hold on tight.” It was the only warning she had before he started sprinting down the street and jumping on occasion to elicit a shriek from her. She would not give him the satisfaction.

She thought she was doing quite well, and holding her own, when he started spinning them around.

“Chat!” She screamed and realised her mistake because people might hear her. “You better put me down this instant or we might have to run from people again.”

He shrugged his shoulders, causing her to shift, “If you kiss me again, we can be chased through all of Paris for all I care.”

His words made her heart jump erratically in her chest. He didn’t know what those words meant to her. He couldn’t know, otherwise he wouldn’t have uttered them in a million years.

She swatted his arm, unsure of what else to do or say, because she was so close to splitting at the seams. So close to completely breaking apart. If she started crying she wouldn’t stop.

“You’re a dork,” she said. Teasing and bantering was easy. It was safe.

She wasn’t sure if he’d done something wrong, but he set her down carefully and offered her his arm. Despite her confusion, she didn’t hesitate to take it.

“I guess you are probably right, we don’t want people to find out about us. Especially as I’m not transformed right now and all they’d have to do is rip this mask off of my face,” he gestured to the black piece of fabric over his eyes.

He said those words if they were truly dating in secret, as if the whole thing wasn’t just a scheme to help her lie to her best friend.

They walked in silence through the streets of Paris, Marinette trying so hard to not read too much into his words, and his actions, because they meant nothing. Nothing.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Chat turned to face her, “This is going to sound strange, but I was wondering if you would mind wearing a mask? This is kind of a private event and people wear masks and other accessories who might hide them from the public eye. Because I’m wearing one to hide my identity, I thought it would look less suspicious if you wore one too.

“If we pretend we’re celebrities who just want to have a quiet evening, people might not look so much at us.”

“Of course I don’t mind, I just didn’t bring one. I guess we could go back to my apartment-“

“I got you one,” he said before she could finish the sentence.

He retrieved it from his pocket and handed it to her. It was beautiful. The fabric was soft and white. The white of purity.

Or of nightmares.

She shook away the memory. That was the last thing she wanted to think about.

The young woman was about to reach for the mask, when he stopped her.

“Allow me.” He moved behind her and fastened the mask around her face gently. “There.”

He returned to his place next to her, and offered her his arm once again. She took it as she thanked him, unsure of what else to say.

They eventually reached the gardens, Chat gave the tickets to the man at the entrance and they made their way inside. No one seemed to even look at them twice. The masks must be working.

They wandered through fields of countless flowers. Soft ember lights were placed strategically, caressing and enveloping the flora in a soft glowing light, in a way that seemed the soft petals and leaves had the ability to chase away the darkness of the night all on their own.

There was no moon in the sky once again, so their only company were the stars above, who seemed to attempt to shine brighter than the flowers but without success. It appeared that just for that night, the flowers would outshine the celestial bodies above.

Regardless of the raging war between the two kingdoms - the sky and the earth - the image they both painted was beautiful. Marinate was mesmerised.

“You’re probably wondering why I’d bring you to a botanic garden at night,” Chat murmured in her ear as he fell behind, so they could fit through a stone archway covered in vines speckled with red blooming flowers.

Marinette chuckled, “I guess I am, even if it is beautiful.”

They emerged on the other side of the stone wall. There were no flowers. Instead there was a luscious patch of wild grass. In the middle of the field there was a swing hanging from a thick branch from a tree on the other side of the wall. Chat gestured towards it.

Marinette looked up to him, who was still standing behind her, “Well, if you wanted me to go on a swing, all you had to do was take me to the park.”

“I guess you’ll have to content yourself with this one,” he said with a knowing smile, that betrayed there was something else up his sleeve.

The young woman decided to concede and let him guide her to the swing. She sat on it, and he stayed behind her. She felt his hands on her back as he gently pushed her. She swayed back and forth softly, his hands on her back on occasion to give her the impulse she needed. But then she started using her legs and her body to propel her higher and higher. Chat got the hint and started pushing her harder, until her hair billowed around her and she felt like she was flying.

Her laughter echoed through the night as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of flying, and the drop in her stomach when she would go too high too fast and fall suddenly. She was giddy and drunk on the feeling.

Chat laughed behind her at her happiness, before he fell silent.

“It’s your turn,” Marinette started, but the words died in her throat when she opened her eyes and noticed the world around her.

She gasped as she willed the swing to a stop to appreciate it.

There were hundreds of fireflies around them, their flickering lights illuminating the night.

It was beautiful. She had never seen anything as beautiful.

“I thought they only came out during the summer,” she whispered too, afraid to disturb the spectacle happening around her.

“These are a winter species, so they come out at this time of year.”

The stars and the fireflies shone in his eyes as she looked up at him. He looked handsome and Marinette forgot how to breathe for a split second.

He took her breath away. From his golden locks that framed his face and strong jaw, to his wide shoulders that had grown, and been shaped, and chiseled by years of super-heroing. She returned her attention once more to his face. His kind face, that was still hidden in the shadow of a mask, and that would perhaps always remain hidden under it. She had no right to ask him to reveal himself to her. Not until she told him who she was. Despite the fact she shouldn’t know his identity, and shouldn’t want to find out, she couldn’t help but wonder what he might look like under his black mask.

His chest rose with each inhale he took and she lost herself in the rhythm of his breathing. If she focused hard enough, she could hear the beating of his heart as he stood right behind her. The beating of the heart she had fallen in love with, and would always love for as long as she lived.

She was his, forever.

 _I love you,_ the words rang loudly in her mind, but they wouldn’t reach her lips. They couldn’t.

Instead she scooted to one side on the swing, and pulled him down, so he would sit next to her.

He swung one leg over the wood plank and then the other, before settling himself next to her.

They were very close. His touch burned her. Consumed her and there was nothing she could do to help it. She let her head rest on his shoulder, allowing herself that little bit of contact. It was friendly enough to pass as innocent and not as a confession of her romantic feelings. They had cuddled under blankets as friends. Lying her head on his shoulder was nothing in the light of that.

His hand found hers on her lap, and they laced their fingers together. It felt like home.

They walked home hand in hand still, Marinette’s heart soaring higher than it had ever done, which should’ve been her warning that the fall would be so much higher and the outcome much uglier.

They reached her apartment, both still on a high from the amazing night they had had.

“You didn’t have to get me flowers, especially because they were so expensive in the botanic garden.” Marinette said as she smelled the assortment of different roses he had gotten her.

“I know, but you deserve them. You deserve the world.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest at those words.

He sat on her chaise, while she got a vase and some water for the roses. He had taken a long time picking the right bouquet. She wondered if every single colour had a meaning as she admired them and traced their petals. She could ask him, but the red roses stared at her in mock and her resolve faltered.

She decided to join him on the chaise instead, leaving the roses behind.

She looked up at him, to notice he was already staring at her. He tucked a strand of her behind her ear, like he had done on the first night they kissed. His eyes bore into hers with such intensity that if she weren’t sitting, she was sure her knees would have given out under her.

His breath caressed her face like a lover’s whisper.

Their thighs brushed together, the fabric of his trousers rustling against her satin dress and her exposed skin. The contact was leaving her feverish.

His green eyes vibrated with a burning passion that threatened to consume her in a cloud of smoke.

Chat lowered his head and angled hers with the aid of his hand. Their lips stood mere millimetres away. She held her breath. Her eyes fluttered closed as they connected.

What had begun as a soft kiss quickly turned into something much heated and vigorous. He kissed her hungrily, and she responded in kind, getting hold of the collar of his shirt and pulling him to her.

She laid on the chaise and pulled him down with her. He offered no resistance as he braced himself on one arm, placing it over her head, while the other one settled on her hips.

They moved in tandem, as if they could read each other’s thoughts and anticipate what the other wanted. She reached for the buttons of his shirt and started undoing them one by one, consumed by her hunger for him. He angled himself to facilitate her task.

Marinette kissed his jaw, and his neck, and his chest. He purred at her attention. He discarded the shirt as soon as the last button came undone, throwing it across the bedroom.

She moaned as his teeth rasped teasingly over her neck. Over the faded love bites. She was lost in a world of heat and lust. His dextrous fingers peeled the straps of her dress down, so he could have full access to her collarbones and shoulders.

She whined his name as he kissed her above her heart. He suddenly retreated from her, exposing her to the cold air of her bedroom.

“Wait.” He was breathing hard. "There’s something I need to tell if we are to go any further. I need to make sure you’re okay with this.”

The room grew colder still. There were a myriad of emotions in his eyes - desire, passion, longing - but there were other emotions that stood starkly in contrast against the previous ones - anguish, regret.

 _Regret._ He regretted the whole thing!

Marinette’s heart dropped. She was sure it had broken. Broken into a million pieces.

She had misread all the signs throughout the night.

No. She hadn’t.

Marinette had seen what she had wanted to see. She had forgotten their agreement and her promise not to let her feelings cloud her judgement. She let herself get wrapped up in the fairytale.

She had thought she could have sex with him even though he didn’t feel the same way about her. She thought that it wouldn’t mean anything and she would be able to move on.

Goodness, she was an absolute idiot.

“It’s fine, Chat. I got carried away.” She said hastily as she got up from under him, wiping away the smudged lipgloss off her face.

The young woman needed to put as much distance between them as she possibly could. She grabbed the straps of her dress and pulled them back up.

He looked wrecked, still frozen on her chaise. His hair in disarray from her hands, with lipgloss all over him and his naked torso. His shirt was nowhere to be found. She had done that to him knowing he was in love with someone else. She was selfish. So selfish.

“It’s better if you go.” It was all Marinette could say without breaking down in front of him.

“Princess…”

“Don’t call me that.” Her voice sounded broken and hoarse. “Please.” The last word was barely even a whisper, as her throat constricted.

He nodded as he got up, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

_Probably swallowing down words that would break her heart._

She forced herself to hold back the tears that would certainly spill the moment he left her bedroom.

Chat reached for the shirt that had ended up behind her desk and pulled it on. He didn’t bother with the buttons before he uttered his transformation words.

The hero made it to the window and stopped, looking back one more time before he jumped into the night. She thought she had seen tears glimmering in his eyes, but she couldn’t be sure.

Marinette stared out the window until she could no longer see his shape. It was only then that she let the tears fall freely. She leaned against the wall and let herself slide to the floor in a wave of anguish, and pain.

She could see the roses he had given her from the corner of her eye, and she only broke further. She broke and cried until she was sure there was not a single piece of her left.

⚬◉⚬

Chat Noir ran wildly over Paris, not even looking where he was going. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to. The tears that streamed down his face blurred his vision.

He was jumping and running on instinct, the streets of Paris and its layout having been engraved in his mind from many years of flying over them.

His heart had shattered and the jagged edges were bleeding him out.

Who knew it would hurt that damn much? Certainly not him. He had played with fire and he had gotten burned. He was an absolute idiot.

The leather-clad hero ran with no destiny, no place to go. He just ran until his lungs burned, and his legs ached with the effort.

Sobs racked through his body.

In all fairness, he should know running from the problem, and from his feelings wouldn’t solve anything, but at least the aches of his straining body would help keep the pain of his broken heart at bay.

Chat ran past a poster of Adrien and bile rose in his throat at seeing his fake smile, and his fake happiness, and the image of the well-behaved young adult, who half of Paris wanted to have. He didn’t want half of Paris. Damn, he didn’t even want a quarter of it. He wanted Marinette. And she didn’t want him back. And that hurt. It hurt more than anything had ever hurt. It hurt more than when he had realised Ladybug would never love him back. It hurt more than when Kagami and him broke up.

He summoned his cataclysm and touched his infested hand to the abhorrent billboard, turning into a million broken charred pieces that matched the way he felt on the inside.

Chat ran some more, testing the limit of the miraculous, knowing his time was running out and yet and not caring.

As he saw the last green light flash he stopped on a rooftop and collapsed on his knees, one of his hands already outstretched so Plagg could land on it.

He fetched cheese from his pockets for the little creature, knowing he would certainly need to refuel, and extended it to him.

But Plagg seemed to have other plans.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?”

“Look if this is about the billboard, I’ll say I was saving Paris from something, I don’t care.” Adrien sniffled as he waved his arm around, offering a half-hearted shrug as an answer.

Plagg offered him an incredulous expression in return, “This is not about the damn billboard, I couldn’t care less about that! What the hell, kid? What did you do? Are you that much of an idiot?”

“What in the world are you talking about?” The young man howled.

“ _What am I talking about?”_ Plagg whirled around in fury, his back to Adrien his paws on his head. After a few moments, he turned once more, the slits of his feline eyes very narrow, _“_ Screw this! I don’t care what she has to say, I’m getting involved!”

Adrien was not quite sure who Plagg was referring to, but he never got the chance to ask before his Kwami started on a rant.

 _“_ I’m talking about the fact you broke Marinette’s heart! What the hell where you thinking? You kiss her and then you stop the whole thing saying there’s something she should know and you expected her not to push you away?”

“What else was I supposed to say? I was meant to confess to her, remember?”

“You didn’t, though! You should’ve said you loved her!”

“I never got the chance to! Seeing her reaction as I was about to confess was enough!” His heart squeezed in his chest - it was a surprise it still worked, considering the heartbreak - as he remembered the expression on her face, and the way she scrambled away from him, panic in her eyes. As if him confessing his love to her was the most horrible thing that could’ve happened. 

_“She thought you were rejecting her!”_ The little god released an exasperated sigh, before continuing in a much subdued tone, “Let me try to get my point across to you, because you seem to need a very detailed illustration of the whole situation. Imagine you’re fake dating-”

Adrien released a scoff and Plagg narrowed his eyes in response - a warning for him to shut his mouth.

“ _Imagine you are faking dating_ , but things get out of hand, and you both catch feelings but you are too scared to say anything to each other. Imagine you start kissing, because you’re obviously in love, but don’t even have the guts to say it,” Plagg was gesturing around wildly as he monologued, and Adrien could do nothing but stare in silence, with a pout on his face.

“Things start getting heated, you take off their shirt and you kiss them and then kiss some more, and then suddenly they just ask you to stop, saying there’s something they should know about with an expression of misery on their face? How else are they supposed to read those signs? For all she knows you were about to say you see her as a really good friend and still try to get in her pants.”

“What?! NO! That was not it!”

“Well, she doesn’t know that, does she?”

“I- ” Adrien tried to find something to say but nothing came to him. Plagg only raised his eyebrow in an expression that clearly stated ‘ _I’m right about this. Don’t argue with me’._

Plagg let Adrien mull over his words in silence, as he reached for the cheese in the young man’s hand and started munching on it.

The tears on his face had dried, leaving a bad sensation behind. He wiped them as best as he could with the back of his hand.

Adrien was still not sure of what to make of his Kwami’s words.

“Marinette loves you. She really, really does. Trust me. There’s no one else in this whole wide world who will ever love you as much as her.” Plagg’s voice was soft, no trace of anger or frustration in it anymore. “Well, maybe your kids one day, but that’s for another time I suppose.”

Adrien choked at the creature’s last words but couldn’t help a smile from breaking through. He snorted lightly at Plagg’s antics, giving him a scratch on the head.

“You really mean that? Of being sure Marinette loves me?”

“I do. I can’t even believe you never saw it. She doesn’t try to hide it.” He gobbled down the last piece of cheese before continuing through a mouthful, “Well, actually that’s a lie, she does try, she’s just very bad at it. But then again, she kept you from seeing it so, maybe she’s not so bad after all.”

“She loves me… She really, really loves me?” Adrien turned to the Kwami with a lovesick expression on his face, his heart, that had been broken only minutes ago, soaring at the possibility, at the chance that Marinette might love him back.

“You should go ask her, not me.”

He got up in a rush, nearly tripping on his own feet as he looked in the direction of Marinette’s house. There was a chance. Maybe he truly had a chance.

Adrien was going to do things right this time. He had to. He was not letting her get away.

“Plagg, claws out!”

⚬◉⚬

Marinette was still in her clothes and makeup, lying on her bed, hugging Chat Noir’s plushie as tears ran freely down her face. She had discarded the white mask as soon as the hero left her bedroom, knowing it would most likely get stained from her running makeup.

Indeed, there was mascara and eyeliner smudged everywhere on her bed and the plushie, and she couldn’t care less. She would take care of it the next morning. For now… All she wanted to do was cry.

She thought things wouldn’t get to this. How wrong had she been.

Tikki hugged her and murmured a few words of encouragement, but even the Kwami seemed to be affected by the way things had turned sour so quickly, her mood quiet and pensive.

The young woman burrowed further into the plushie, rustling the sheets and the bed as she did.

A thump echoed through the room.

Marinette frowned at the sound and dangled herself over the bed to grab what she thought had been her phone falling on the ground.

But she found something else instead. It was a small silver box, tucked between the wall and the foot of her bed.

She remembered Chat Noir placing something on her bed before he zipped her dress. Her heart tugged at the memory - more painful than pleasurable.

Her fingers reached for the little object, grabbing it. She sat on the bed, box in hand, as she kept an arm still secured around the plushie.

The young woman’s hands shook as she slowly opened the box to reveal a small necklace inside. It was beautiful.

It was a silver necklace, with a little silver heart in the middle and colourful beads next to it. There was a white bead, a yellow, a peach, a coral, an orange one, a half yellow and red, and finally a red one. She had seen those colours before… But where?

The flowers across her room caught her eye.

Her heart thundered in her chest.

It couldn’t be.

She got up slowly, leaving the necklace behind as she focused on flowers he had bought her, to make sure she wasn’t imagining things.

A rose for each of the beads, and an extra red one in the middle of the bouquet. That extra one she was sure stood for the silver heart.

It couldn’t be.

Could she have misinterpreted the whole situation? Could she have made a terrible, terrible mistake?

Realisation hit her like a freight-train.

_What had she done?_

Marinette rushed to the bathroom to wipe her tears and the smudged make-up as she shouted for Tikki.

“I need to go find him! I need to apologise and make things right.”

“You don’t even know where he is,” her Kwami reasoned.

“I don’t care! I’m not leaving it for tomorrow or later”, she waved an arm around as she readjusted her dress, “It has to be tonight. I need to tell him how I feel tonight! I need to go find him!”

“As Ladybug?” Tikki raised an eyebrow, pointing out the very obvious fault in her plan.

Marinette halted in the middle of her room. She couldn’t go look for him as Ladybug.

She would want him to know who she was, obviously, but not before confessing her feelings. Not before a lot of things.

She could call him. She scrambled for her phone, finding it at last still in her purse. She unlocked it and pressed on his icon. The phone rang. It rang and it rang, with no answer. She hung up.

The young woman paced her bedroom barefoot as she bit her nails - a habit she thought she had outgrown.

A few minutes passed before she clicked on the icon again, letting it ring for as long as it would. No answer.

He probably hated her. With reason. She had practically shoved him out of her bedroom after they’d kissed, just as he was about to confess to her. She had rejected him! She had rejected him without even giving the chance to confess. Her heart clenched in her chest, and more tears threatened to spill.

She completely understood if never wanted to see her again.

The young woman kept pacing her bedroom, the motion driving her Kwami insane.

“What am I going to do, Tikki?”

“I guess we’re about to find out.”

“What?”, Marinette turned to where she thought the little goddess was, to find the space vacant. Where had she gone?

She was about to call for her, when she saw _him_.

Her heart leapt in her chest. He had come back! He had come back for her!

Marinette rushed to the window, opening it brusquely.

His figure grew larger as he approached her house. She observed his growing figure with bated breath.

Chat Noir landed on her balcony a few seconds later, out of breath, his hair in disarray, and his eyes red and misty.

She probably looked exactly the same. She didn’t care.

Marinette flew into his arms.

He barely even had time to brace himself as she flung herself at him. He caught her when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He secured her against him with one arm under her thighs and the other on her back. His tail curled around one of her legs.

She laughed and cried against him, as she ran her fingers through his hair and his ears. She could tell from the way he shook against her, that he was in much the same state as her.

Marinette hugged him tighter. He smelt of salt, and spice and home.

“I’m so sorry I should’ve done things differently,” His voice was hoarse.

She shook her head, “No, I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions without even letting you finish.”

Chat Noir pulled her closer to him and cradled her head, occasionally running a hand down her hair.

“We’re both idiots.” He said with a dry chuckle.

She nodded, laughing softly.

They truly were.

“Princess, maybe we should take this inside, you’re getting cold.” She could feel the goosebumps running down her body but none of that mattered.

She shrugged, “I don’t care. I’m never letting you go again.”

“That can be arranged,” he chuckled.

The hero managed to squeeze the both of them through the tight window and settle them on her bed.

Marinette lost sense of time as they remained in each other’s arms, soothing their open wounds and letting them close.

She eventually withdrew from him. Very reluctantly.

He was resting with his back against the wall, as she sat on top of him, straddling his hips. The giant plushie sat next to them ,keeping them company.

She ran her hands through his hair, trying to tame it, with a loving expression on her face. He wore a matching one as he looked at her. She blushed under his gaze.

One of his hands stroked her thigh, her hip and her arm, while the other one reached for the box with necklace she had left on the bed.

He lifted it, gesturing to it, “I guess you found your surprise.”

“I did. Tell me what it means.” Her voice was breathless, but she didn’t care.

“They match the roses,” he gestured gently with his head towards said flowers, “a white rose stands for purity and secrecy - much like our fake dating situation - yellow stands for friendship and new beginnings - it symbolises our friendship and I hoped it would also stand for a new beginning.”

His voice was deep as he spoke. It was soothing, and as warm as a summer night.

“The peach colour stands for sincerity and closing a deal - the closing of the deal is pretty straightforward, our fifth date was the end of the whole plan, as for sincerity… I wanted to be honest with you about my feelings.”

She didn’t speak, afraid he might stop talking. He idly stroked her leg as he continued. “The orange rose stands for fascination and desire and I think that’s pretty self-explanatory. The yellow rose with the red tips symbolises friendship and falling in love. And the red is passion, and love, and beauty.

“A bead for each rose. A rose for each milestone and stage of our relationship.” He shrugged and lifted an eyebrow, “Or what I hoped would be a relationship.”

He looked coy.

Marinette smiled widely at him, unable to hide her happiness anymore.

“In case it wasn’t obvious by now, I am truly, madly, and deeply in love with you, Chat Noir.”

“Well, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, if you hadn’t noticed I am also utterly, completely, and crazily in love with you.”

“It took us long enough to realise.”

He hummed in agreement as they smiled brightly and unabashedly at each other.

“Can you put the necklace on?” She asked him.

Chat didn’t give her answer, he simply reached for the accessory, carefully peeling it from the box with his claw. He undid the clasp and lazily brought the necklace around her neck. The young woman grabbed her hair and angled her head so he could clasp it behind her. She released her hair when she heard a soft click.

“There.”

He didn’t withdraw from her until he left a soft kiss on her neck, wearing the widest smile she had ever seen on him. The mangy cat really liked kissing her neck. She shook her head in feigned disapproval and smiled at him.

His green feline eyes shone brighter than she had ever seen them before, and they beckoned her in. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to resist their call.

The distance between them dwindled with every steady heartbeat they shared, until there wasn’t a sliver of space between them and their lips connected in a feverish dance.

One of his hands wove around her waist and the other found a place against her cheek, cradling gently and guiding her to him. She grabbed his cat-bell as her other hand cradled the back of his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair.

This kiss was different from all the other ones they had shared. Physically it felt the same, it was perfect - with the right amount of sweetness and passion. But emotionally, it was nothing like Marinette had ever felt before. They were one, with their hearts connected forever.

She felt Chat release his transformation under her, and she saw Plagg scatter to where she knew Tikki must be resting.

They kissed, and Marinette’s desire to pick up where they had left off only grew with each passing moment. She reached for the buttons of his shirt once again. He had apparently done them up at some point after he had left.

She kissed his neck as she undid the first button.

“I’m not going to ask you to stop this time, I’m just going to ask if you’re sure about this? Even without knowing my identity.”

“I love you regardless of your identity. I want this.” She paused the attention she was lavishing on his neck, to look into his eyes. He stared right back with the same intensity.

“So do I,” he admitted before he drew her to him once more and kissed her thoroughly.

She worked on the remaining buttons and then peeled the fabric off of him. She idly felt his hands on her back, unfastening the zip he had done up earlier.

They shed each other’s clothes leisurely, until the only thing left was the mask on Chat’s face. But that one was not coming off.

At least not just yet.

He kissed every single one of her freckles and every inch of her skin reverently as her lips wandered and explored the whole expanse of his skin.

_I love you._

The words echoed around the room, as they panted and moaned each other’s names. Their souls entwined and wrapped around each other until the world around them ignitedand exploded in a shower of a thousand shooting stars, and words of reverence for each other fell from their lips.

_I love you._

The words echoed once again through the room.

⚬◉⚬

Adrien, with his black mask still in place, drew lazy circles on Marinette’s back as she did on his chest, both unable to hide the smiles on their faces.

“I want you to know who I am.” He confessed apprehensively as he fingered the silver heart and the colourful beads that hung from her neck.

“Tomorrow.” She said. Her voice was unwavering and steady. Not the answer he had expected at all.

“There’s something I need to tell you, as well.” Marinette declared, her eyes lightly shifting to the side, as if she were looking at something or someone across the room.

“Tomorrow then,” he kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him.

Both of them fell into a peaceful slumber in each other’s arms.


	7. Chapter VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Alya ventured further into the room. She spotted the textbook on the table and grinned triumphantly. She made her way to the desk carefully and grabbed it._
> 
> _As she turned around, she finally had a good view of the bed and what she saw shocked her. The textbook fell to the floor with a loud thud. ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Welcome to the seventh and last chapter. I might cry, because this is the end. Anyways:
> 
> This is kinda of a bonus chapter and the end to The Butterfly Effect. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this story and I hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment and some feedback and maybe even ideas of what you'd like me to write in the future. You can always send prompts / ideas on my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/) or dm me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire)
> 
> Enjoy!

⚬◉⚬ Bonus ⚬◉⚬

Alya knew it was early – really early – but she had a French Literature class in the morning that she needed to study for, and she was sure she had left the textbook at Marinette’s place after their last study session.

Marinette had given Alya the spare keys to the apartment as a safety measure ever since she had forgotten the keys inside and had had to call the firemen. The only reason that girl didn’t forget her head was because it was attached to her neck.

The brunette walked in silently and made her way to the bedroom after having looked for the book in the living room and coming up empty-handed.

The door made no sound as she opened it slowly and quietly, keeping an eye on the mound on the bed, ensuring it stayed down, and undisturbed.

She scanned the room and found clothes scattered all over the floor. That should have been her first warning. But this was Marinette’s bedroom after all, so it was not unusual for her to leave scraps of fabric and loose clothes all over the place.

Alya ventured further into the room. She spotted the textbook on the table and grinned triumphantly. She made her way to the desk carefully and grabbed it.

As she turned around, she finally had a good view of the bed and what she saw shocked her. The textbook fell to the floor with a loud thud.

Marinette jumped suddenly at the sound and looked where the aspiring journalist was rooted to the spot.

“What the hell Alya! What time is it?”

“6 in the morning.”

“What?!” Marinette groaned, as she laid down once more and pulled on the sheets.

“But that’s beside the point!” Alya shrieked and pointed at the bed wildly because she couldn’t keep the shock under wraps anymore.

The sheets rustled as the second person moved. An arm shot out from under the covers and made its way over Marinette, pulling her against them. The two of them snuggled closer together. “Princess, can you tell Alya to come back later? It’s way too early for whatever it is she wants.”

Marinette moaned in agreement, burrowing into the other person’s chest.

If Alya had had her doubts when she saw the mop of blond hair, she certainly didn’t anymore. That voice was unmistakably Adrien’s, and she could just about see his face peeking from under the covers.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Alya tapped her foot on the floor, “When I told you to have a nightstand to get over your crush, it was kind of implied that sleeping with your crush was out of the question.”

“What are you on about, Alya?” Marinette’s voice was rough from sleep as she got up and untangled herself from Adrien’s sleeping form. He groaned at the loss, but followed suit, rubbing his eyes with his hands. 

Marinette ran a hand down her face and stared at Alya. The latter saw her friend’s face slowly change, as her eyes practically bulged out of her head when she realised that she had been caught in bed with someone. 

Alya chuckled, incapable of hiding her amusement. 

“So, I was the one you were trying to get over, hm?” Adrien asked as he dangled a black mask from his finger and shrugged one of his shoulders casually, wearing a shit-eating grin on his face.

Alya was confused about the mask, and she wasn’t even sure if she should ask, but before she could make a decision, Marinette’s eyes finally moved from her to Adrien, her mouth hanging open. Her face was beet-red and for a moment Alya thought she had broken her best friend. And then quick as lightning Marinette grabbed her pillow and threw it at Adrien’s face. 

“You smug alley-cat!” The black-haired young woman shouted.

Alya heard Adrien’s muffled laugh through the pillow. 

He eventually removed it from his face and pulled Marinette over to him and in for a kiss. She let him, wearing a goofy loving smile on her lips that certainly matched his, which made their intention of kissing almost impossible.

Alya rolled her eyes at their affection, not too bothered because she knew she and Nino had been a hundred times worse. 

They eventually parted and their embarrassment came back full force, judging from their rosy cheeks and averting eyes. 

“You both have a lot of explaining to do. So how did this happen?” 

Alya gestured her hand around signalling the two of them getting together.

“We’ve been seeing each other for a while?” / “It just kind of accidentally happened?”

Adrien and Marinette replied at the same time and then looked at each other with similar panicked expressions on their faces.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m going to make breakfast for the three of us. That should give you some time to get your stories straight? Oh, and maybe put on some clothes while you’re at it.” Alya motioned around, pointing to their clothes all over the floor and their very obvious naked state under the sheets. “Please do join me once you’ve sorted it out.” 

Alya had already left and closed the bedroom door behind her before she even finished the sentence, leaving two very flustered young lovers behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments or drop me a dm on [twitter](https://twitter.com/darthnoire)
> 
> Until next time 🤍


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